Category Archives: Recycled Glass Beads

Agomanya Market – The Hub For Bead Trading in Ghana

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I’ve always wanted to visit Ghana. Not just to witness the fascinating process by which recycled glass beads are made, but also to wander the fabled markets of Agomanya and Koforidua – the largest bead and textile markets in Africa. Rumors abound about the treasures to be found among the many hundreds of stalls lining the streets of Agomanya, including 17th Century Chevrons, and the even more collectible French Cross Beads traded into the region during the 19th Century.

A woman demonstrates the process of bead cooking at Agomanya Market. The Advocacy Project/ Flickr.

A woman demonstrates the process of bead cooking at Agomanya Market. The Advocacy Project/ Flickr.

Agomanya lies roughly 5 km from Kpong on the Somanya Road in the Eastern Manya District of Ghana. It’s primarily a center for agricultural trade, but since the 1950′s, has become rather better known for its textiles and glass beads made by local Krobo artisans. Every Wednesday and Saturday, artisans flock to the area from nearby Odumase, Kpong and Asesewa, to display their wares which range from expertly carved effigies of traditional deities to antique and contemporary glass beads in just about every color you care to think of.

Thousands of recycled glass bead strands are arranged by color on market stalls. Kate Yaeger Rotramel/ Flickr.

Thousands of recycled glass bead strands are arranged by color on market stalls. Kate Yaeger Rotramel/ Flickr.

Beads are the primary allure for tourists to Agomanya. Strands of trade beads can be found for as little as ten Ghanaian Cedis (approximately $6), while strands of recycled glass beads tend to be much cheaper. Aware of tourist interest in Krobo bead production, some stall-holders offer demonstrations to show how old stained beads are transformed prior to resale. It’s actually a cunning technique known as “bead cooking”, whereby beads are heated in a pan of oil and water to alter the appearance of the skin, making them far newer and shinier in appearance. Ghana’s famous bead factory, Cedi’s, lies just a few kilometers from Agomanya, and provides a fascinating insight into the bead manufacturing process which has little changed in hundreds of years!

Antique Chevrons - just some of the many old trade beads to be found at the market. Terrie Shweitzer/ Flickr.

Antique Chevrons – just some of the many old trade beads to be found at the market. Terrie Shweitzer/ Flickr.

Ateyun Beads – The Beads That Duped the Traders of Old

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There’s no mistaking coral beads once you’ve seen them. But, those made in Africa for trade over a hundred years ago looked rather different to the polished orange-red spheres we use today. African coral is characterized by distinctive natural inclusions, curious bore holes and an a rusty orange-red coloration.

Since coral was scarce, these beads were considered particularly valuable by the bead-loving Yoruba of Nigeria. Their worth was also measured against their popularity among the Yoruba by traders from the North, many of whom would bring vast quantities of beads in exchange for animal pelts, brass ornaments and oils. As the supply of coral beads dwindled, the resourceful Yoruba looked to producing their own imitations from recycled glass.

Glass Ateyun beads differ somewhat to the Recycled Glass Beads produced in Ghana in that they are not producing using glass molds, or the wet core technique. Instead, the fritt (glass powder) is moistened with water and rolled between the fingers to form a ball. A twig is gently pushed through the center of the bead to create the perforation hole, and they are then fired in an above ground kiln – usually made of clay. Once cool, they would be washed in a mixture of sand and water to age them. The vast majority of Ateyun beads were tubular or donut shaped, and were always red in color. Such was the likeness of some beads to coral, that even traders were duped into believing they were authentic. Unsurprisingly, they often bought quantities from the Yoruba to trade with other tribes in West Africa.

Ateyun Beads, Evelyn S./ Wikimedia

Ateyun Beads, Evelyn S./ Wikimedia

Aggrey Beads, and the Deceptive Art of Bead Cooking in Ghana

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There are so many different types of Recycled Glass Beads produced in Ghana today. From the fancy hand-painted Powder Glass Beads made to look like old Venetian Millefioris, to annular wound beads, similar to those shipped over from Europe in the 16th Century, there’s very little you can’t find in the markets at Adomanya and Koforidua. But, while the Akan ethnic groups of Ghana are considered artisans in their own right, there are some who employ cunning techniques to transform the appearance of plain old beads into something considered far more valuable: Aggrey Beads.

The origins of Aggrey Beads are still widely disputed, in part because the term “aggrey” also means “coral” in many Akan dialects. Historians believe the blue wound glass beads were named after the blue coral found in the waters off the Gold Coast, however, tribes such as the Fanti and Asante refer to this as “koli”, rather than aggrey.  The term “koli” is also widely used to refer to beads which are light blue in color. The discovery of light blue dichroic beads by archaeologists in Cairo, Egypt, offers the most likely explanation for the origins of Aggrey Beads, and yields some clue as to why they’re so highly sought after.

Opaque Blue Recycled Glass Beads

Opaque Blue Recycled Glass Beads

Aggrey Beads produced in Ghana today look much like the worn dichroic beads of old –  largely due to the bead cooking technique employed by market dealers and resellers. Translucent wound or pressed beads are placed together in a metal pot filled with water and organic matter. The beads are then cooked for up to an hour over a charcoal fire to alter their molecular structures.  This causes bubbles to rise to  the surface, and the outer skin of the bead becomes darker and more opaque. Imitation Aggrey Beads can be found in a wide spectrum of colors, and may also be called “koli” or “cori” beads by natives.

Introducing Cedi’s – One of Ghana’s Oldest Recycled Glass Bead Factories

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Bead kiln. BCWorks/ Flickr

Bead kiln. BCWorks/ Flickr

Have you ever wondered where your African Recycled Glass Beads come from? I get so many emails asking where Recycled Glass Beads originate, that I thought it was high time we dedicated a blog post to the subject. Well, more specifically, the tiny factory in Ghana, now supplying some of the biggest online retailers around the globe!

Located off a dirt track on the Sombaya Road, just two hours from Africa, Cedi’s isn’t exactly a well known landmark for tourists. A collective of small, quaint clay buildings with thatched roofs and billowing chimneys, the Cedi plant employs just twelve people across the three acre site. This tiny production plant was the brainchild of Nomoda Ebenizer Djaba, (known locally as Cedi) a bead-maker who learnt his craft from his grandfather in Odumase, Krobo. Keen to expand the family business, he developed the workshop almost a decade ago, and now supplies some of the leading online bead retailers in the US.

Workers at the site each have very specific roles. There are those who are charged with the tasking of grinding down recycled glass into a powder; others who prepare the elaborate clay molds, and bead-smiths, who are responsible for preparing and firing the beads in the termite kiln.

Despite its years in operation, bead production at the factory remains a largely manual process. The glass is crushed down in vast metal buckets with a heavy pole, and the kilns used for firing built by hand from termite clay. Sand-cast beads are washed in a mixture of water and sand to give them that beautiful eroded finish, and even the Fancy Powderglass Beads are painted by hand!

The Significance of Beads Among West African Tribes

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There are few stipulations on the wearing of beads in West African culture. Both men and women utilize them for adornment, as a means of self expression, and to communicate their spiritual and cultural values. Trade Beads and Recycled Glass Beads have particular significance as a communication tool, and can be worn for one of three reasons:

To Convey Status:

Certain types of Venetian Trade Beads are held in particularly high regard by some West African cultures due to their rarity and color combinations. Green, a color synonymous with knowledge and power, was often the basal color of 19th Century King Beads, making them highly sought after by tribal chiefs. Single Krobo women also wear brightly colored strings of glass beads around their waists to accentuate the hips – with the primary intention of attracting male attention.

As a Symbol of Wealth:

Trade Beads have long been used as a form of currency among African tribes, and are still considered representative of financial security in some parts of West Africa to this day. In Ghana, young women adorn themselves with necklaces, armbands and bracelets made from glass beads prior to the Dipo “coming of age” initiation ceremony. Once the ceremony has concluded, the young girls perform a ritual dance to celebrate this coming of age, and flaunt the wealth of the family. In the North-East of Ghana, glass beads are also still presented to the groom as the bride’s dowry.

For Magical/ Medicinal Purposes:

Throughout West Africa, glass beads have long held sacred symbolism among indigenous cultures. Tribes such as the Mossi of Burkina Faso and the Baoule of the Cote d’Ivoire believe that the essence of their ancestors lives on in beads, and that by wearing them, they may benefit from the knowledge and wisdom of their forebears. Krobo glass beads decorated with eyes or spots are believed to protect the wearer from being harmed by evil spirits, and even enhance psychic ability!