Large yellow pouderglass "Bodom" bead with green and brown designs
35mm diameter with large 4-5mm pefroration
Found in eastern Ghana early 1970s
The name Bodom has been applied to large, old, usually yellow, powderglass beads for decades, but this is a misnomer. The term Bodom actually applies only to beads belonging to the Queen Mother of the Ashanti, and her beads have not been seen by people knowledgeable about beads in a long time. According to Jamey Allen writing in “The Wild Beads of Africa” her collection likely contains a variety of beads including old powderglass Bodom beads, gold, and trade beads from Europe and the Islamic world.
The correct Krobo word for large focal beads, including, but not limited to powderglass, is “kpo”
Antique Bodom beads had designs applied to the surface n molten glass, the more recent "Bodom" beads are made entirely with powderglass method. It takes a lot of skill to create the designs in powdered glass in a mold. The fuzzy edges on the designs, give away the, which I think is actually a more dificult process.
At least on Ghanaian glass beadmaker has learned hot-working techniques, I expect it won't be long before we see more and different Bodom imitations'
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