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The Krobo tribe has a long lasting tradition producing glass beads. Over the past twenty years  many new small businesses,...read more

The Krobo tribe has a long lasting tradition producing glass beads. Over the past twenty years  many new small businesses, based on the manufacturing of Recycled Glass Beads can be found in various regions of Ghana. To start bottles and other glass items are first washed and sorted by colors then they are crushed by hand, wrapping the glass shards within a cloth. After they are pounded with a metal mortar and pestle, and sieved to get a very fine powder. Unless glass was originally transparent, a natural dye cannot be added to influence color, therefore the color of the bead is influenced by the types of bottle(s) used. Bead molds are traditionally made from clay or porcelain. Prior to the glass powder or “fritt” being added, the interior is lined with kaolin clay and water, insuring powder residue doesn't adhere to the mold. Bead molds are usually clay trays comprising up to 20 individual molds, carved out by hand. Cassava stalks, which burn during the fusion, are added to the mould to leave holes for threading the beads. These beads are often referred to as Krobo beads, the Krobo mountains being the main area of production.  The traditional glass beads of Ghana are often referred to as Krobo beads, the Krobo mountains being the main area of production.

 

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