Authentic ethnographic material. All Krobo-made beads on original string. Several
are from "Dipo" regalia. Here's a short glossary of terms used below:
- "Powa" (~status). Combinations of old bottles and old beads or earth materials for colorants. One
of the earliest Krobo bead types.
- Teranja. Beads made by Teranja Bead Works/Ransford Tetteh in the early 1990s. Usually modern
bottles and ceramic colorants.
- "Writing" type. Ordinary plain powder glass beads decorated by "writing" designs with colorant
slurries and refiring. Mid-1990s and later.
- "Terrazzo". From the floor type of the same name. Beads made with scrapings from enamelware.
Name given to beads made this way by Ransford Tetteh. The ones below also incorporate modern
bottle glass and ceramic colorants.
- Miss Joyce. The "Queen Mother of Beads" in the time of Ransford Tetteh. Ransford would make
beads on commission with materials she supplied. She sold beads in the market and also rented out
"Dipo" regalia.
- "Dipo". Girls' puberty rites. Nowadays it's a short period in May when the young girls perform this
rite of passage.
- Ransford Tetteh (ca. 1955-1993). One of the last "classical" bead makers. Founder of Teranja
Bead Works. Revived old techniques; opposed mass production of "junk" beads with ceramic
colorants; made beads influenced by American designers.
(click to enlarge and click again to supersize)
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BR01. Old-style
"powa" (~status),
1960s or earlier. Pair
$40 (not really
matching)
BR02. Old-style "powa",
1960s or earlier. Interesting
standard beads, many have
single green stripes. Similar
ones can be seen on the girl's
legs in the home-page photo
$24 each.
BR03. Teranja. Small
yellow bicones, stone
ground, with some
flecks of other colors.
"Dipo" regalia from
Miss Joyce". Pair $48.
BR04. Modern twisted
stripes. Market goods.
Ceramic colorants.
Bias cut so the beads
mesh nicely on the
curve. Pair $40.
BR05. "Writing" type. Made in
imitation of a popular old Venetian
bead. $30.
BR06. All dry powder and
colorants. Imitation green
"French cross" beads.
Uncommon careful work. $30.
BR07. Ransford Tetteh, 1991.
Pre-formed "eyes". Ceramic
colorants. Rare beads. $40.
BR09. Teranja "terrazzo" tablets.
Horizontal molds. Limited
production. $45.
BR08. Twisted polychrome stripes,
large perfs. Ceramic colorants.
Market goods. $24.
BR10. Teranja "terrazzo" barrels.
Limited production. $30.
BR11. Teranja "zagba". Vertical
mold. Mostly powdered old
beads. Carefully bias cut to
position the stripes on the outside
of the bracelet. "Dipo" regalia.
Quality limited production for
local use. $50.
BR12. Teranja "terrazzo" barrels.
Limited production. $30.
BR13. Teranja "kofoya" (do not
cry). Mourning bracelet. Made in
imitation of a popular old Venetian
bead. All dry powder and
colorants. $45.
BR16. Teranja "terrazzo"
tablets. Horizontal molds.
Limited production. $45.
BR14. Teranja.
Small yellow
bicones, stone
ground, with
some flecks of
other colors.
Some have a
greenish tint.
"Dipo" regalia
from Miss Joyce.
Pair $48.
BR15. Teranja "otaka" (disk
beads). Quality ones with
heavy amounts of colorant,
finished nicely. "Dipo" regalia
from Miss Joyce. $30.
BR17. Teranja "zagba".
Vertical mold. Mostly
powdered old beads.
Carefully bias cut to position
the stripes on the outside of
the bracelet. The air holes are
a sign that olde beads were
used to make these beads.
"Dipo" regalia. Quality limited
production for local use. $60.
