bead

The glassmakers of Bida, Nigeria, create beads, bracelets, and novelties that are unique in African glass beadmaking. The male glassworkers, known as the Masaga, are thought to have brought their craft, in the 18th century, from Egypt to Nigeria. There, they joined with the Nupe people. The beadmakers have developed a highly organized guild, including a leader and various teams of laborers, that makes the various glass products. The work is performed around a unique domed furnace, with the base dug into the ground. A hole at the top of the dome allows smoke to escape. The furnace is constantly fed by manually operated bellows. The glassmakers originally produced their own glass, called bikini, but with the advent of colonialism in the 19th century, they began to reuse bottle glass, which permitted a greater range of colors. One worker keeps the melted glass in a viscous state, while the others dip iron mandrels into the glass to pick up a gob that they quickly rotate and then form with a paddle. The decoration is produced by taking a thin strand of colored glass, melting it in the fire, and winding it around the exterior of the bead. The men work very quickly, making about 15 to 20 beads in one minute. This example is a good illustration of the type of glass beads crafted by the glassmakers, both in the paddled shape and in the clearly visible wound decoration in bright green.