African Trade Metal Beads
Ghana (Asante) Brass Beads - These beads are created using the lost wax technique by the Asante people of Ghana. Individually unique, wax is rolled into thin strips which are formed into coils or woven into meshes. The Asante have been practicing this metalwork for over 2000 years!
Baule Beads - The Baule people created a series of kingdoms and city-states that progressively occupied the entire forest region all the way to the Gulf of Guinea. During the eighteenth century, the Queen sacrificed her own son in order to cross a river. This sacrifice was the origin of the name Baule; for "baouli" means "the child has died." These are hand-made brass beads from the Ivory Coast (Cote D'Ivoire). A repeating feature throughout Baule Beads is the regular parallel grooves that run throughout each of the beads. Historically, these beads have been used as weights to measure gold.
Ethopian Prayer Beads - Worn as a symbol of faith, these hand forged lightweight metal beads are formed as two halves, and then joined together. It is said that the wearer of prayer beads will gain a sense of peace, harmony and well being.
