The Plato Bead: A Bead Dodecahedron
Laura Shea · 2006
Creating polyhedra with beads is another way to learn the properties of regular and semi-regular solids. The instructions given below are for the dodecahedron (The Plato Bead). In a bead polyhedron each face becomes open space; each edge becomes one bead; each vertex becomes a thread void. The structure is light and open. The size of the overall bead changes with the size of beads used. One of the five Platonic solids, the dodecahedron consists of 12 equilateral pentagon faces, 30 edges, and 20 vertices. Considered the Platonic symbol for the universe, this twelve-sided form may also represent time with each face being a month of the year or one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. In the bead polyhedron a bead stands in for each of the 30 edges. The 12 faces of the form become open spaces. Each of the vertices becomes a void surrounded by three beads and thread. Because our support medium is thread, each polygon face of the polyhedron becomes a softer shape, approximating a circle. The bead polyhedron more closely resembles a sphere than the geometrically angular dodecahedron but still retains many properties of the dodecahedron. Beaded beads based on regular and semi-regular polyhedrons have been part of the largely undocumented bead lexicon in China for several hundred years. According to Valerie Hector’s research, Chinese beadworkers call the dodecahedron mei or “plum blossoms”. The Chinese often use a two strand thread path. The Plato Bead uses a one strand thread path. This pattern uses two colors of beads “A” (white) and “B” (blue) to create the impression of alternating rows of color. (Two colors make it easier for the new beader to work and follow the pattern.) The text lists Row, Step, Bead # and Colors (A, B). Each circle or loop of beads completed in each step will contain a total of 5 beads (five edges of each pentagon face). Each bead will be shared by another circle. Three beads will surround each thread void. Take care to pull the monofilament through completely as it can kink inside a bead hole and release later, weakening the integrity of the piece. The bead polyhedron’s stability depends on the bead holes being as full of thread as possible and reasonably tight tension.