Rss Feed
You are here: Home > Beading Blog

  1. Why Are Hebron Beads Sometimes Known As “Kano Beads”?

    July 29, 2011 by The Bead Chest

    Green Hebron Beads

    HEBRON BEADS – Nestled snugly beneath the ancient city of Jerusalem, Hebron has gained notoriety in recent years as a place of civil unrest, and clashes of faith. It’s certainly not a city you’d associate with thriving glass-blowing factories, and a world-class art movement. Yet from as early as the 18th Century – Hebron (El Khalil) was a major player in African trade, shipping an exhaustive supply of glass beads to Africa in order to source slaves, furs and oil from native tribes.

    The earliest known written record, detailing the production of Hebron Beads (such as those we have here at The Bead Chest)  was from an English traveler known as William George Brown in 1799. He documented briefly, a thriving industry of glass-blowing and wound glass production, that gave birth to the course Hebron bead variants – Hershe and Munjir. “Hershe” refers to the smaller format, while “Munjir” could realize sizes of up to 6cm! Then, as now, the aesthetics were course and opaque – sometimes even taking on a free-form appearance, due to the training of new artisans (whom did not naturally have the steady hand required for careful work.)

    Of course, we are aware that Hebron had begun shipping glass beads in order to commence trading partnerships, however what is less known, is the routes by which these African trade beads traveled – and how they came known to be “Kano Beads“, when the Northern Nigerian state capital has no history of wound glass bead production.

    From the 1800′s, trading routes opened up along the Nile, connecting Egypt with Sudan and Ethiopia in the North East of Africa. For over a century, Hebron Beads would become a staple currency by which to do business throughout Africa – but as with many of the popular trade beads, Hebrons too began to lose favor by the 1930′s. Of Africa’s trading regions, Nigeria in particular proved to be one of the most active. As a result, a large influx of Hebron Beads occurred during the height of the trade era. No longer of monetary value; the Bauchi and Zaria tribes began realizing the versatility of Hebron Beads for adornment – especially ritualistic.

    There was just one problem…

    Hebron Beads, when strung upon sisal would not sit in a uniform fashion. Appearance being of great importance to the tribes-people – they came up with a solution, that involved the filing of Hebron Beads to flatten the rounded ends. Result! They sat almost perfectly! It would be this solution that influenced the renaming of Hebron Beads to “Kano Beads”, and the Nigerian capital mistakenly being affiliated with their production.

    Today, a small revival of Hebron Bead production does exist within Nigeria – artisans using recycled glass, and natural dyes to color their beads. The overall physical likeness has made them practically indistinguishable from their old trade counterparts – although the beadiest of eyes can tell. Can you? Take a look at our collections of Hebron Beads/ Kano Beads here at The Bead Chest and see for yourself!!

    Category Trade Beads | Tags: , | View Comments

  2. Yoruba Tribes – Were They Really Producing Powder Glass Beads Before Ghana?

    July 26, 2011 by The Bead Chest

    Red Recycled Glass Beads

    The Krobo; a resourceful Ghanaian tribe responsible for the biggest African economic revival since the trade era, and allegedly purveyors of the powder glass-making art-form. Or were they? Browsing the sheer plethora of different powder glass bead types here at The Bead Chest, you’d need more than a keen analyst’s eye to distinguish between them, and some of the old lapidiary beads that come from Yoruba. Some say it’s impossible! The reason being that both Yoruba Powder Glass and Powder Glass Beads from the Krobo are created using the exact same cold casting methods.

    But who came up with it first?

    It’s a bit of a “chicken or the egg” situation, since like most African trade bead mysteries, there is little historical evidence to back up the claim of either side. According to acclaimed African bead historian Kwesi Amanfrafo, there is literally nothing in the way of documentation to prove bead production existed in Ghana prior to 1950 – although they claim the revival to have started circa 1900, and were educated in the art by a tribe known as the “Ewe”.

    The Yoruba on the other hand are widely known to be one of the largest in situe ethnic groups in West Africa, with land encompassing parts of Nigeria, as well as the Republic of Benin. Glass bead production within this region predates the Krobo efforts by as much as 300 years – however, how much of this utilized the cold-casting ‘fritt and fire’ method is debatable. Of the most prominent Yoruba beads are “kori stones”. These were made using the lapidiary technique, where glass that may or may not have been waste product was smelted en mass to form ingots. These would then be manipulated, cut or reshaped whilst hot, to create glass beads. As we know, the cold-casting technique involved the grinding of glass into powder, which was then fired over a course of several instances, to create molded glass beads.

    Perhaps the best example of differing technique can be found within the collections of the British Museum, London, England. Here an extensive collection of cold-cast beads sourced from Nigeria have been accumulated over the last hundred years – and there’s a distinct difference to those made from 1950 onward, to those over a Century old. The earliest spherical glass beads thought to date around 1860 are a hotchpotch of reworked glass, with piths and bubbles to suggest they were actually made from other old glass beads. The newer counterparts on the other hand, are far courser in visible texture suggesting the recycling of other glass waste such as bottles, is a fairly recent thing.

    Having checked out the Yoruba Glass Beads alongside our popular Green Recycled Powder Glass Beads, the aesthetic differences are very apparent. The Ghana glass beads are smoother, more rounded and far better in finish. Check them out for yourself! Surely the ultimate indication, Ghana have had this down to a tee for at least a Century?

    Category Powder Glass Beads | Tags: , | View Comments

  3. Mali Wedding Beads And Their Use In African Chaplets (Prayer Necklaces)

    July 25, 2011 by The Bead Chest

    Mali Wedding Beads

    With their bulbous shape and pitted texture, Mali Wedding Beads have become somewhat of a vintage fashion staple in the Western world – but did you know, they actually serve a similar purpose to the Catholic Rosary? The indigenous people of Mali, South of Niger are a resourceful minority, and have been utilizing African trade beads for many centuries, to serve both ritualistic, and rites of passage purposes – but such beads have also become resemblant and instrumental, in the naturalistic faith of these tribes-people.

    Take a look at our own strung Mali Wedding Beads here at the Bead Chest. Do you notice anything unique in the manner they are strung? Unlike some African trade beads, Mali Wedding Beads tend to be restrung by African tribes-people in a very specific way. Both the number of beads, and color co-ordination can have very specific connotations, depending upon the tribal faith. Beads strung in this manner have come to be referred to as “chaplets”, and while modern understanding of this term usually associates it with the Catholic Rosary, it actually serves to describe any kind of “prayer beads” strung in a specific way. Take the “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy”, an oft used prayer string within the Catholic faith. The beads are divided into five “decades” or sections, each resembling specific passages or notions from the Holy Bible. Similarly, the chaplets used within the Islam faith (which is widespread throughout Africa) is used to count recitals from the Holy Koran.

    While Islam is most definitely a prominent faith within Africa, many tribes still hold their own beliefs, imparted through ancestors and transcending hundreds, or thousands of years. The most common belief is that of Naturism – every living object bearing a spirit, or containing an aspect of the spirit of a “God”. Gods and Goddesses hold esteem for any number of reasons – they were perhaps great warriors, healers or preachers.

    In the same way modern faiths have been implemented, the fables of such prolific entities have been passed down over many generations. Symbolism also takes precedence over the written word, which is why Mali Wedding Beads found use as a chaplet, or prayer necklace. Each bead resembles a particular spirit, ancestor or incantation; color also resemblant of specifics such as the earth, wind or air. There is no set model for a Mali Wedding Bead chaplet, since the indigenous beliefs of each tribe tend to be wholly unique to the next.

    Now you know how Mali Wedding Beads have come to assist in the daily prayer rituals of modern African tribes, perhaps you’d like the chance to create your own chaplet? Check out our stunning strings of Mali Wedding Beads – who knows, you could actually be purchasing a ready-made prayer necklace!!

    Category African Beads | Tags: ,,,,, | View Comments

  4. The Importance of Ethiopian Metal Beads To Tribal Faiths

    July 18, 2011 by The Bead Chest

    Ethiopian Prayer Beads

    A plethora of metal bead variants originate from Ethiopia; a country attributed with some of the most skilled metal-smiths in Africa. Our Ethiopian Metal Beads here at The Bead Chest demonstrate the skill of such artisans – their aesthetics being smooth, and almost perfectly cylindrical or rotund. A format of Ethiopian Beads you might not be familiar with, are Ethiopian Metal Prayer Beads. Their ergonomics are very similar in both size and shape to Ethiopian Metal Beads, however Prayer Beads tend to be made of pure metals such as brass, copper, gold or silver. The latter types are very scarce.

    Prayer Beads are often thought to have originated within the Roman Catholic sub-religion of Christianity – the Sarum Rites of the 11th Century said to have born the idea for the “Rosary” or “garland of roses”. Prayer Beads are in effect prayer counters – each bead correlating with a line, passage or individual incantation derived from a literary or custom source. The use of Prayer Beads actually goes far further back than the 11th Century. It is believed St. Paul of Thebes and St. Francis of Assisi both adopted a pebble-counter string of beads for prayer.

    So, was it the landing of Spanish explorers within Africa around the 15th Century that inspired Ethiopian Prayer Beads?

    The Rosary may be the most widely acknowledged type of Prayer counter, however many other religions are thought to have adopted the principle far earlier. The Islamic faith is one that has been central to Ethiopian culture for many thousands of years. Prayer Beads not dissimilar to the “Rosary” (although bearing up to 66 metal beads) are predominantly used during thanks-giving, repentance and rites of passage – the Eid Al-Fitr, and Ramadan period of fasting primary examples.

    Of course, Ethiopia is still inhabited by many indigenous tribes, particularly around the Oromo River region. The Oromo and Amhara tribes in particular still concentrate their faiths upon naturism and holistic spirituality. Although varying by area, the consensus of tribal faiths seems to be that God is manifested within all things living and breathing. As such, Prayer Beads are utilized to count blessings, and give thanks for individual graces such as animals, plants and minerals of the Earth. It is also believed among some  tribes such as the Amhara, there are innumerable spiritual entities within every solid object, be it living or not. In contrast to the “Rosary” whereby each bead resembles a specific prayer, Ethiopian Prayer Beads resemble a particular spirit or God/ Goddess. Superstition also plays a very real part in the lives of Ethiopian tribes-people, which is why you may have heard the wearing of beads is said to ward off potentially harmful spirits.

    Today, Ethiopian Prayer Beads still carry an abundance of meaning for many faiths, however even those not of religious persuasion wear strings of Prayer Beads, with a brightly colored plume of feathers forming the pendant – a traditional adornment said to bring peace, harmony and good-health to the wearer.

    Whether or not you are religiously inclined, Ethiopian Prayer Beads are a truly beautiful variant of African Metal Beads – significantly larger than metal spacers and extremely versatile. Want to bring some peace and harmony to the balance of your own life? Why not check out our White Metal Ethiopian Prayer Beads, and let us know if they work for you?

    Category Ethiopian Beads | Tags: ,, | View Comments

  5. Waste Not, Want Not: The Eco-Benefits of Bone Beads From Kenya

    May 7, 2011 by The Bead Chest

    Kenya Bone Beads

    If there is one thing the natives of Africa are renowned for, it’s resourcefulness. Some classic examples of this (in relation to handmade exports) are exemplified here at The Bead Chest; directly sourced wonders from Kenyan Bone Beads, through to the intricately carved Dogon Mali Spindle Clay Beads. All share one defining characteristic, which influences their eco-friendly appeal – they are made from elements of the Earth.

    Of course, one must take into consideration the literal translations of “eco” and “environmentally friendly“. To some, ethical products translate as those not created from any animal derivatives, be it bone, hide or horn. To others, materials derived from animals may be classed as “ethically acceptable”, providing the animal’s carcass is used in it’s entirety and/ or it was killed in a humane manner/ died of natural causes.

    It is a complex topic, from which many are liable to draw their own ethical and moral standing, however to the tribes of Africa (notably Maasai, Krobo, Ashante, Fipa and Ngola) animals and plant-life represent spiritual entities. Within Kenya, both the Massai and Akamba mythologies are suggestive of all living species possessing auras and spiritual entities. Species such as grazing cattle, heifers and goats are worshiped for their provisional values; as such there are strict “rules of faith” by which both tribes adhere when it comes to sourcing necessary materials from such species.

    So why is all this relative to the Bone Beads from Kenya, sold right here at The Bead Chest?

    For starters, all Bone Beads, ranging from the Batik Beads, to the Fish Bone Beads are sourced directly from Kenya, Africa. Secondly, The Bead Chest are committed to supporting worthy efforts within such areas, that contribute to sustaining the ethics and environmental values of the people whom create such products. Because all products are sourced direct from artisans, we can be certain that:

    • No animals are killed purely for bone or other derivatives, used to create Bone Beads. They are used in their entirety for tribal sustenance, hide for clothing or building etc. More often than not, it is elderly cattle, and those whom die from natural causes that are used.
    • The welfare of animals whose bone may be used, is of a consistent standard that we can be assured meets our ethical values.
    • The “waste not, want not” mentality and faith of Kenyan tribes, guarantees that no damage, or pollution to their local environ occurs as a result of bead production. In the case of Batik Bone Beads from Kenya, vegetable dyes and tree waxes are used to create the intricate patinas.
    • Our sourcing of Bone Beads from Kenya, has a transcendental effect upon the economy of the region. We buy directly from the artisans who produce these beads, care for their environment and raise their cattle!

    So next time you are browsing our beautiful array of Bone Beads from Kenya, take into consideration the lack of environmental impact that natural beads create. Both ethically and aesthetically beautiful!

    Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

    Category Bone Beads | Tags: ,,,, | View Comments

Older Entries