bead

Like the bodom, the akoso is a highly valued type of powder glass bead found in Ghana, West Africa. Akoso beads are thought to have been made during the 19th century, but their origins are unknown. This form of bead is no longer being produced by the beadmakers of modern Ghana. The akoso differed from the bodom in its construction, in that it used a dry-core technique. This resulted either in no core or in a grayish core on larger beads. The akoso bead is usually an elongated bicone or cylindrical in form, and it has more decorative motifs than the bodom. It often has a yellow base and is ornamented with crossed loops, stripes, and spots/eyes, executed in various colors. Shades of green and teal are also found, typically decorated with simple stripes of black and pink. Some believe that the pink was made with a variety of crushed Venetian trade beads with red and white layers, known as cornaline d’Aleppo. This high-quality akoso bead has a distinct biconical structure and crossed loops that are well executed in layers of black and blue.