Glass Beads of all Kinds
Glass has been one of the most important bead making materials for last two millennia. It is believed that glass was first created in the Middle East where at first its mode of production was a carefully guarded secret. Later, the Chinese and Indians independently came up with their own methods for making glass. Some of the oldest glass Beads were made in ancient Egypt as faience beads with a vitreous surface. In more recent times between 14th to 18th centuries, Murano Venice, Amsterdam Holland, Bohemia Czechoslovakia were the major manufacturers of trade beads that eventually found their way to Africa aboard merchant ships. In Africa, Glassmaking is also an ancient tradition. In particular Ghana has been making Powder-glass Beads for nearly a millennia and in Nigeria Bida Glassmakers have been active for centuries.
The versatility of glass is one of the primary drivers of its popularity for producing beads. In particular, it can be modified to create a wide range of colors and shapes while still maintaining considerable strength. Once glass has been made, it can easily be refashioned by melting into different shapes. Glass is a supercooled liquid made that forms below the temperature for crystallization. Many materials can be used to make glass however the most common pre-curser is silica which can be derived from sand. While many methods can be used to create glass, today, the method used to create glass can be used to determine the glassmaker’s place of origin.
A wide variety of production techniques can be used to make glass beads. These methods include Winding, Drawing, Molding, and Blowing. Sometimes multiple techniques are used to produce a single type of bead. Coloration of Glass Beads is achieved by putting metal oxides into the glass. Different substances are used to generate the different colors. Ancient glassmakers used iron, copper, and manganese to make a variety of colors as well as cobalt, antimony, arsenic, and tin. Testing for these substances and other minerals can be used to date glass.
Today Glass Beads are found throughout the African Continent especially in West Africa where many varieties of both European Trade Beads and locally produced beads continue to circulate. Of the Glass Beads found in Africa, some of the celebrated varieties are Venetian Beads, Lampwork Beads, Chevron Beads, Wedding Beads, Millefiori Beads, Sandcast Beads, Recycled Glass Beads, Seed Beads and many others. Glass African beads are certainly some of the most prized ethnic beads.
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