Necklace, Dangles - brass, green chevrons and king beads

The brown glass beads used in this necklace are antiques and were made in Ghana by recycling beer and medicine bottles used by the European traders of the time. The bottles were recycled by grinding them into a powder, melting the glass and re-forming them again. Most old Ghanaian glass beads worked in this way are blue, green or brown in colour because that was the colour of the bottles used by the traders. The modern-day green glass beads are Krobo, Bodom or King beads also made in Ghana and are replicas of antique beads of the same design. The central brass bead is made by the Baoule of the Ivory Coast, using the lost wax casting method. In lost wax casting, a model of the object is made of wax and a clay mould formed around it. The wax is then melted out or “lost” and hot metal poured in. Each casting is unique and the mould is broken to reveal the finished work, making the whole process very labour-intensive and the finished item therefore valuable.
Length: 44 cm / 17 inches, lowest point approx 65 cm / 25 inches