Vertical-mold beads with stripes made by running a pin down the side of a filled mold and
backfilling with color, usually alternating blue/black and red/rust. Other base and stripe
colors and combinations are also found. Early materials include old imported beads and
bottles and exotic materials, such as soot, rust, and red shale. Reportedly made from the
1920s or 1930s, if not earlier. Notice the European "chevron" beads in the picture. These
are also "powa".
by the matched string.
Once fired, the
unfinished beads would
be pounded into yams
and then rubbed on the
grinding stone as a
group to finish the ends.
Then they would be
strung on a wire to
grind the edges as a
group. The result
would be a perfectly
nested and graduated
matched string. The
string shown in these
two pictures is a market
mix of several batches
on raffia, poorly nested
and graduated.
use of decorated beads, such as Venetian lampwork.
come by. Here, the blacks might be called "metee" (quality) or "kwau" (after an Akan
group or nearby landform) in certain contexts. The ones with the red-over-white
stripes might be called "obuo-so" (top of the stone).
