Akosu Akoso Powder Glass Beads Copies African 37 Inch SALE WAS 5.00

Description

Title
Akosu Akoso Powder Glass Beads African 37 Inch
Other Names
trade beads
Type of Object
Powder glass
People
Tutsi
Made In
Africa
Traded In
Africa
Approximate Age
Late 19th to early 20th century
Overall Condition
Good. Some of our beads have traveled at least three continents, and have graced numerous owners. Small chips, corrosion, and pitting are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use.
Damage/Repair
Chips, pitting and general wear.
Bead Size
8-12 mm diameter, 5-7 mm hole (measurement is approximate)See picture with penny for size comparison.
Strand Length
37 inches (includes string/raffia)
This strand is not intended to be a ready-to-wear necklace. Although the strand can be worn "as is," the
raffia
holding it together is not durable and may break with use. For this reason, we recommend that you restring the beads before wearing them.
Additional information:
For more information, please see our comprehensive guide to African-made beads,
African Beads: Jewels of a Continent
, hardcover, 216 pages, 163 color photographs, available from Africa Direct.
These are African made powder glass beads which are called "Akoso" beads in the trade.
The origins and date of manufacture for these beads is still in dispute but for the most part, these have been dated to the late 1800s/early 1900s.
These
beads were made from glass (most likely Venetian beads) which was ground to a fine powder.
The powder was then placed in a mold and fired in open air ovens until the powder glass fused into solid glass.
Many of these old "Akoso" beads have fragments of old Venetian "green hearts" imbedded in them.
Some of them have what appear to be "melted" white heart beads imbedded in them. The larger and more sought after "Akoso" beads
have a double "U" criss-cross pattern. How this pattern was applied is another controversy.
Some experts say this pattern was pre-formed of molten glass and hot worked onto the beads, others say they were formed in the molds prior to the beads being made.
Most of the older African powder glass beads like "Akoso" and "Bodom" beads are still somewhat of a mystery and research on them continues today.
In Africa,
these beads are held in the highest esteem and usually only worn for celebrations, funerals, and are often buried with the dead.
There is much folklore about their magical powers as well.
"Akoso" beads are becoming rarer and rarer to find in the bead market today.
Fewer beads are coming in from Africa with the Traders.
Most of the "Akoso" beads in America are now in private collections.
We feel fortunate to have these to offer.
To learn more about these intriguing beads please see
Ornaments From the Past: Bead Studies After Beck (Bead Study Trust), Collectable Beads (Liu), The History of Beads (Dubin) and The Bead is Constant (Wilson)
.
**133824**
All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2021
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