Glass Beads

GLASS BEADS

1. History of Glass

Glass beads used for making ornaments found in Sangam excavations in Egypt are believed to date back to 2500 BC.

Early such beads were discovered during the archaeological excavations at Mabunguveyil in South Africa. And these are between 970-1000 AD. Still manufacturing glass beads continues in West Africa especially in Ghana.

Craftsmen and women making grobo beads have been documented from the early 1920s to the present day.

Proof: Bead making in Ghana was first documented in 1746 by John Barbot.

2. Method of Making Glass Beads

The method of making small glass vases by dipping moulds made of silica compound into molten glass is known to have been in use as early as 1500 BC.

By dipping long tubes in molten glass and blowing it was possible for making various things. This invention was made in the mid 3rd Century BC. As result, making glass vessels and beads became easier.

Generally glass beads are made from finely ground glass. Various types of glass such as broken and unused bottles, old medicine bottles, specialty glasses like clear cream jars, ash trays, window panes are finely ground and ground into beads. These glasses give bright colours and shiny surfaces.

Making Coloured Glass Beads

Modern ceramic paints, finely ground broken beads or glass beads can be made by adding pieces of different coloured glass from different sources in a variety of styles, designs and decorative patterns.

3. Types of Glass Beads

1. Grobo Beads

Grobo beads are made using vertical moulds, shaped from locally quarried clay.

2. Agoso beads

Agoso beads are old dry core powder and glass beads. Usually, there are found in yellow and green colours.

3. Meteyi Beads

There are evidences that Meteyi beads were made on horizontal axes. These are opaque yellow in colour.

4. Adeyun Beads

Adeyun beads are not made in moulds and wet core technique. Finely crushed glass is moistened with water and shaped by hand. Holes are drilled before the beads are heated. These are red in colour.

5. Ketta Avusi Beads

Ketta Avusi beads are made in horizontal moulds. They are cylindrical in shape and blue in colour.

6. Kifa Beads

Kifa beads are made manually with a sharp needle-like tool, mixing crushed glass with a binder.