Large yellow powderglass beads with stripes in green and brown, 44mm long
The bead has 3 sets of 3 vertical lines, and one band of 2 colors around the equator, however it's neither an akosu nor "bodom" bead despite the fact that these two terms are often erroneously applied to such beads.
Collected in Ghana early 1970s only one exactly like this available
Powderglass beaddmaking resembles, and is probably derived from, ancient faience beadmaking. It is completely different from the “hot working” techniques most spectacularly practiced in Venice. Large furnaces for actually making glass from scratch were not available in Africa, but African beadmkakers developed, and continue to expand increasingly complex techniques for recycled glass beadmaking.
The yellow glass came from crushed yellow beads, while the green came from wine bottles and the brown from beer bottles. For an excellent book on the process see The Art of Recycled Glass Beads by Philippe Kradolfer and Nomoda Djaba. Privately published and possibly out of print but check libraries.
From the collection of Joyce Diamanti, bead researcher, writer and educator.
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