Tag Archives: Powderglass Beads

Kiffa Beads, and the Lost Art of Bead-making in Mauritania

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Ghana is modernly considered the epicenter for recycled glass bead-making on the continent, however, they weren’t the first country in West Africa to produce powder glass beads for the Western market. Back in the 1960s, US visitors to Mauritania discovered a thriving cottage industry in the Assaba region supplying beads to some of the biggest markets in the capital – Kiffa. Despite this, Mauritanian powder glass beads didn’t come to be known as “Kiffa Beads” until the 1980s when they became collectible among US enthusiasts.

Kiffa Beads are believed to have been inspired by early Islamic beads produced in Fustat, the first capital of Egypt, as far back as 1200 BCE. These early beads featured polychromatic designs and stripes, similar to those applied to Kiffa Beads. Since waste glass was generally in short supply in Mauritania during the 60s, artisans utilized old, broken trade beads and a binder, such as saliva or gum, to create new powder glass beads without the need for clay molds.

Mauritanian Beads were produced in a wide range of shapes and sizes; the most common being a triangle with curved corners due to its being associated with fertility. Triangular beads were often decorated with a series of triangles set within one another, along with a row of eyes along the widest point at the top. The “eye” is significant to the cultures of many tribes, and is believed to protect the wearer from the envy and malice of evil persons and spirits.

Bead-making in Kiffa reached its peak between the 1960s and 1970s, however, quickly went into decline thereafter with the passing of an entire generation of artisans. The craft itself was largely forgotten until the late 1980s when a group of aspiring descendants tried to revive the art. While their efforts were largely successful, subsequent generations could not match the intricacy and elaborateness of early Kiffa Bead designs. Today, those early beads are a highly sought after collector’s item, and due to their scarcity, have been known to fetch record-breaking prices at auction.

Bicone Kiffa Bead from Mauritania. P. S. Chemp/ Wikimedia.org

Bicone Kiffa Bead from Mauritania. P. S. Chemp/ Wikimedia.org

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

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!