February 2011 – Trade Beads

A Buyers Guide To Mali Trade Beads – What To Look For, What To Avoid

mali-wedding-201-3 — Large Mali Wedding Beads

Speckled, marbled, bulbous or triangular. Regardless of their shape, color, size or opalescence, there’s no denying that Mali Wedding Beads are some of the most spectacular of African origin. From the simple way they refract and reflect light, to the way they hang when strung as a ‘bouquet’ for a focal necklace center-piece, Mali Wedding Beads exude a beauty and mystique that often belies their archaic history.

With the surge in popularity of auction sites as a primary means of retail, there has also been a ten-fold increase in the quantity of African beads being sold through these mediums. Mali Wedding Beads, along with Venetian Trade Beads, and African Chevrons comprise some of the most sought-after African bead variants, yet shopping for the ‘real deal’ has become a lot more challenging.

Why is it so difficult to source genuine Mali Beads?

The primary factor that has led to many questioning the authenticity of Mali Beads (that are not sold through accredited wholesalers and dealers), is the production of replicas and reproductions by both Middle Eastern and Western entities. Mali Wedding Beads can often command quite high prices, particularly if sufficient evidence accompanies them to prove they are of pre-1900 origin, and modern techniques are such, that it can be almost impossible to distinguish a reproduction from a true authentic bead.

Signs of Authenticity

If you’ve been an avid collector of African trade beads for a while, you will more than likely be familiar with the quality, weight and appearance of such old beads. African trade beads tend to have survived over a Century of exchange, travel, wear and tear to end up with the supplier selling them onto you. As a result, their general appearance, texture, and even structure may have suffered from such long life – characteristics loved by the people that collect them, and often what influences their high value in some cases. Other things to look for, or beware of include:

Obvious Seams: It’s generally very rare to come across Mali Wedding Beads that bear a pronounced or obvious seam. Part of their allure is the inherently smooth, glossy finish. If the Mali Beads you’re looking at appear to have a prominent ridge from the bulb to the tip, chances are it is a modern reproduction.
Threading Holes: Sounds daft doesn’t it. Surely any bead should bear a threading hole, given their primary purpose is decorative. You’d be surprised at just how many ‘replicas’ are sold on a daily basis that do not feature this trademark Mali Bead characteristic! Old Mali Beads always bear a vertical threading hole at the ‘head’ of the bead (the part narrower than the bulb.) Modern variants are produced with a metal pendant fish-eye attachment or something similar, so that the bead can be used as a single pendant.
Quantity: Authentic African trade beads are always sold by the string upon which they were sourced, by wholesalers committed to protecting the quality and authenticity of such beads. Such beads are often discovered in this state, and will have remained like this since they were first strung a hundred or so years ago. Sellers who break down African trade beads are usually those selling them on auction sites, out to make a quick profit with little regard for the authenticity, and historic relevance of keeping beads together.
Number in Stock: Authentic trade bead retailers will usually be happy to inform you of the likelihood of certain beads coming back into stock, as well as their sources of stock. An extremely high number of ‘bead strings’ being sold through an independent dealer (particularly through marketplaces or auction sites) is indicative that they may not be genuine. Accredited dealers rarely have surplus. In fact, they tend to sell out of their authentic wares within days of it’s arrival. Due to sourcing direct from Africa, it may also be a wait before such stock reappears upon their store catalog.

Other than the above, you should expect real Mali Wedding Beads to feature signs of wear and age. They may appear dirty, pitted, scratched, worn and even sun-bleached in some cases – all characteristics that indicate age, wear and extensive travel from one person to another. When your Mali Beads arrive, don’t be disappointed to find them in such condition – it’s part and parcel of their history, genuine character, and most importantly authenticity!

Venetian Trade Beads – Why they are nicknamed ‘talking beads’, by the Ashanti of Africa

Ashante (Asanti), in the heart of Ghana, is a state synonymous with tribal expression and ritual. The Akans (Ashante people) have held precedence as a dominant tribe ever since the 17th Century, when they ruled and controlled most of the ‘Gold Coast’ (now known administratively as Ghana.) Ghana is also synonymous with the largest level of bead production in Africa, for over 300 years, while the Ashante were the dominating presence, with whom the trade of beads, slaves and goods occurred for over two Centuries.

It is perhaps not surprising then to learn, that the Ashanti, like many Ghanaian tribes, have adopted colored glass trade beads, for the purposes of communication, self-expression, religious ritual and customary rites. The Ashante are of a naturalistic faith, believing that every earthly compound, living thing and substance contains the spirit of ancestors, ‘nature Gods’ or of the great Ashanti Supreme Being (creator) known as ‘Nyame’. To this end, many of the present day rituals, rites and customs are still conducted with the belief that ancestral spirits and ‘Gods’ communicate through nearly every living thing around them – including beads! Hence, why colours, shapes and even the different pitches of beads as they clack together, hold significance as a ‘language’ to the Ashanti.

The ‘talking beads’ of Ashante are worn exactly for the purpose of communication. While the colours are significant, it is the different sounds produced by these beads as they knock against one another when worn, that has borne a unique language among the Ashante, and one that only the trained ear can understand.

Talking beads were traditionally, simple strings of mixed Venetian trade beads – however the modern counterparts tend to be made from recycled glass beads. The beads are predominantly worn by women, and girls from the age of eleven upward, a tradition for which the Krobo women are particularly renowned. Many are of the impression that talking waist beads are used primarily by Ashanti women, to attract the attention of men. This is due to the almost cacophonous noise produced when an Ashanti woman walks with a more pronounced, or even deliberately enhanced feminine gait. The swaying of the hips controls to what extent the beads rattle, therefore can also control how much attention is drawn to this area of the body.

Modern Ashante society has changed a little since the tradition for wearing waist beads first came about. These days, they are considered a very on-trend fashion accessory – yet they are still used by many as a subtle communicational tool, particularly through arts such as dance! Modern Ashante women also appear to be in constant competition with one another, with many using bigger beads for their waist adornments, that will produce far more noise! Perhaps now more than ever before, this is actually to generate increased interest from men, albeit in a manner that is competitive, rather than just a subtle ‘notice me’ exclamation!

Zulu Beads – The Hidden Love Letters of Africa

Bead adornment has long been used for communicative purposes, although it is largely the tribes of Southern Africa whom are renowned for the complexities of this visual communication method. During the thriving merchant era, certain types of trade beads (notably Chevrons) were highly sought after due to their rarity, or intricacy, and would therefore be worn by elders, Royalty and aristocracy to signify wealth, status and governing power.

630-2 — Old Antique Mixed Venetian Trade Beads

But African trade beads weren’t the only variant that bore significance as a correspondence tool. Zululand, in the heart of South Africa, is also known for a complex ‘language’, that uses both Zulu beads, and simple symbols such as the triangle, to convey non-verbal messages. The most common use for this communication method, is for love letters, in a society where it was once frowned upon for women to initiate the courting with men.

The Zulu bead language is built around the geometric triangle – each point bearing a significance to marital status, as does the positioning. Typically, if the point faces Southward, this denotes an unmarried woman, whereas if the apex points North, this signifies an unmarried man. Variants on both the orientation of the triangle, it’s attachment to another, and the color of beads it is depicted against, all have an influence upon the message conveyed. Seven main bead colors tend to be used within the bead ‘language’, and although they all have primary meanings (i.e black connoting sadness, dismay and death); secondary definitions and messages can be created, as a result of the context in which Zulu beads are arranged. Different hues also influence context.

The most common colors used within the Zulu code are: green, which can symbolize contentment, yet also convey envy; blue which signifies longevity and faithfulness; red is strength of emotion, so can dictate love or anger; white for purity, honesty and neutrality of spirit; and finally pink, which added emphasis to a promise, and suggestion of fertility.

With such a beautifully simple language at their fingertips, both Zulu men and women found an avenue by which they could discuss and relay affairs of the heart, without doing so in public. The creative arrangement of Zulu beads allowed for more intricate expression, giving birth to several now well known Zulu love poems. One of these is “iNcwadi” (“I-en-che-wadi”), describing black as a depression due to a lover’s absence, and green as the “springing of shoots”, likened to the birth of love.