Glass Beads Made in Africa:
Part One, Bida, Nigeria
Written by Peter Francis Jr. originally appearing on TheBeadSite.com and reprinted here with permission of The Bead Museum
|
Many African countries make glass
today for practical purposes. However, traditional glassmaking for
beads is known only from Egypt and Nigeria. The first reference to
the Nigerian industry of which I am aware was published in 1857 by
Bowen (1968: 199). It is not very detailed:
"They [the Nufes; modern Nupes] are said to be the only people in Sudan who still retain the art of manufacturing glass. At present this art is confined to three towns, one of which is west of the Niger, about two day's journey from Ilorrin." Bida is west of the Niger and some 200 km (120 miles) from Ilorin (now spelled with one 'r'), where Bowen was visiting. |
||
|
|
In his florid style, Forbenius (1913: 434-437) was apparently the first to publish the discovery that glass was actually made at Bida for the beads and bangles turned out there by the Masaga guild In 1925 Meek (1971: 157-160) reported that the Masaga had started recycling bottles 50 years before, and gave an incomplete account of the old glassmaking process. He also said that the Masaga claimed to be descendants of "Whitemen" from Egypt, an unlikely event. |
|
|
Not until 1942 did Nadel (1951:
274-278) describe the process of glassmaking at Bida from
first-hand observation. He noted that earlier writers had said
that it had ceased, but that it was still done to make the dark
brown or black glass locally known as bikini. The two beads
above were made with this glass.
A special domed furnace was built and into a pit underneath was placed local sand, soda imported from Lake Chad, and after some time, blacksmith's slag. The whole needed to be heated constantly at a high temperature for three to five days, depending on the quantity of glass being made. |
||
| The local sand is rich in some element (iron?), giving the glass its deep color. Frobenius also reported on the making of yellow glass (see bottom bead). The white glass on the top bead may have come from European beads or some other white glass object. |
|
|
|
|
Later writers like London (1965) and
Gardi (1969: 87-102) report only on the remelting of scrap glass
or bottles (kwalba) to make beads (left).
Hodge (1981: 72-79) discusses the making of bikini glass, but much of her text seems to be lifted from earlier accounts. For example, she says that kwalba glass had replaced bikini glass in the last 50 or 60 years, echoing what Meek had said 56 years before. |
|
| Hodge
did give us the first description of beadmaking. The furnace is
wider and the pit under it less shallow than the one used to make
glass. Broken bottles and beads (for coloring) are allowed to melt
in a pot.
One man withdraws a large gather of glass from the pot and drips it onto three iron mandrels each held by other men. Each man shapes the beads with a paddle and adds decoration of other glass with a pair of tongs. The beads were then knocked off and allowed to cool slowing in a pot adjacent to the furnace. I still have many questions about this industry and am anxious to visit it first hand. Once things start settling down in Nigeria, Bida is on my list of bead-related places I intend to visit. Part 1: Bida, Nigeria - Part 2: Kiffa and Wet-Core Beads - Part 3: Dry Powder-Glass Beads in GhanaReferences: Bowen,
T. J.
|
||
Home About Elegant Notions Privacy Statement Beading Resources Security Contact Us
Copyright Elegant Notions 2001-2007 All rights reserved.