Porcelain Beads, Fire Polish Beads, Shell Beads, Furnace Wound Beads, Cloisonne Beads, Sea Glass Beads, Lampwork Beads, Lampwork Bead Styles, Polymer Clay Beads, Boro (Pyrex) Beads, Faberge Eggs, Clay / Ceramic Beads, Saltwater Pearl Beads, 75000 Year Old Beads, Freshwater Pearls, Glass Seed Beads, Cultural Differences In Beads, Meanings of Gems & Minerals, Pressed Beads, Crystal Beads, Mardi Gras Beads, Bali Beads, Machine Made Metal Beads, Wooden Beads, Semi-Precious Beads, Dichroic Glass, Awareness Beads, Modern Marvels, Prayer Beads, Variety, Cane Glass, Big Business - Small Business, Beads from Animals, Beads as Healers, Uses of Beads, Acryclics, Types of Metal Beads ,Types of Seed Beads, Status Symbols, Feng Shui, Story Telling Beads, Bead Shapes, Bead Colors, Birthstones, Lucky Beads, European Made African Trade Beads, African Made Trade Beads
|
|
African Trade Beads
Sandra Paluzzi Last month we discussed beads made by Europeans for trade to Africa. This month, we'll cover beads currently being made in Africa. Most African glass beads are made by the Krobo tribes people in a small region of Ghana in West Africa. They have been making beads for well over 1000 years. And they have been using recycled glass to make them. African trade beads are made from powdered glass and are referred to as 'powder glass beads'. Glass bottles and other items are placed in a plastic bag and smashed. The slivers are then ground into powder. The process looks similar to the way we use a mortar and pestle to grind herbs. The powder is then placed in molds for forming into the desired bead shape. A dried leaf is placed in the center of the bead to form the hole. The molds are placed in an oven and heated over the flame. Designs are painted on the beads.
Powder glass beads have a matte appearance in comparison to lampwork beads. To me, they have an earthy appearance. For a fancy bead, they have large holes and work well with leather and hemp. Glass beads are not the only type of beads made in Africa. West Africans are also famous for their brass beads.
These beads tend to be quite large. I have seen them reach over 2 inches long. Again, these beads have large holes. The brass in African beads is not the bright brass we're used to seeing in the Western world. It has almost an antiqued cast to it. Traditionally, African beads were made by men. They were then strung together and sold in the marketplace by women. Today there are some women who also make the beads. And you may even be able to spot a man or two at the marketplace vying his wares. Next month we'll finish our series on African beads by focusing on the finished beadwork done there.
|
Register to win 25.00 Worth of Beads and Beading Supplies Click here to visit The Bead Peddler® Full line of
Wholesale
prices available to the public! |
