Description
PRODUCT DETAILS + Title - 31 Kiffa Powder Glass Beads Old Mauritanian Africa + Type of Object - Powder glass over a core + Made in - Beads made in Kiffa, Mauritania + Overall Condition - Fair to good. Some of our beads have traveled at least three continents, & have graced numerous owners. Small chips, corrosion, & pitting are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age & extensive use. + Damage/Repair - Pitting, 4 chipped beads, & dirt. + Bead Size - 7-15 mm diameter. See picture with penny for size comparison. + Strand Length - 11 inches of beads PRODUCT DESCRIPTION Additional information: For more information, please see our comprehensive guide to African-made beads, African Beads: Jewels of a Continent, hardcover, 216 pages, 163 color photographs, available from Africa Direct. The art of making traditional Kiffa beads is gone. Such beads were originally made in Kiffa, Mauritania. They were used as hair adornments by Kiffa women. Nodody is really certain of the age of this period of Kiffa bead making. Most of the experts in this field date it to the early 1900s through to the 1940s. Traditional Kiffa beads were individually produced by hand, with a central core made out of various materials. This core was sometimes made from dark gray powdered glass & sometimes non-glass materials. Using a needle & spit, tiny portions of red, blue or yellow, or white powdered glass were laboriously applied to the bead core. This was done over & over again until the beads were totally covered with this outer layer of powdered glass. The semi-finished beads were then "cooked" over outdoor open fires until the powdered glass fused. By the end of the 20th century, the secrets of this traditional process had been lost. CLM0520 SKU: 133726 31 Kiffa Powder Glass Beads Old Mauritanian Africa
