Beads

Of all the traditional crafts in Ghana, beadmaking is the one most closely associated with the Eastern Region and in particular the Krobo people. On Tuesday we visited the bead factory in Odumase-Krobo, just short of an hour east of Koforidua by tro tro. The ‘factory’, a collection of spacious shelters, is set back about a kilometre from the main road in a very peaceful setting. We were welcomed and introduced to the various processes that go into bead making.

The art of bead making is long established and it is rare to see a traditionally dressed Ghanaian lady or chief who is not adorned with some type of bead. For me, however, the most striking thing about the process was the prominence of recycling, a very modern phenomenon. The ovens in which the beads are baked are constructed from termite mounds. The type of mud produced bonds particularly well and is less prone to cracking at high temperatures than alternatives. This is a bit tough on the termites but new ovens are not needed too often. Most beads are produced from crushed glass bottles. There is always interest in the rarer coloured bottles link red and pink. You can take your own bottles along. Antique beads are re-fired to give them a new lease of life. Tools for threading the beads and other processes have been fabricated from palm leaf fronds, pieces of bamboo and spokes from old bike wheels. In times when it is almost impossible to mention ‘tourism’ without adding the adjectives ‘sustainable’ and ‘eco-friendly’, the beadmakers of Ghana can hold their heads up high.