6AFRICA ADORNED/'CEDI' GLASS BEADS/RAMONA MOORE

THIS CREATION, FEATURES A 'CEDI' (NOMODA EBENEZER DJABA) BEAD AS THE CENTER PIECE OF THIS AFRICAN EXTRAVAGANZA NECKLACE. FROM GHANA, CEDI HAS BEEN CRAFTING THESE GORGEOUS GLASS BEADS FROM POWDERED GLASS FRAGMENTS, FROM A METHOD THAT DATES BACK THROUGHOUT THE AGES. THE OTHER GLASS BEADS IN THE PIECE ARE ALSO FROM AFRICA.

IN THE KROBO REGION OF GHANA, STRANDS OF COLORFUL GLASS BEADS ARE WORN IN EVERYDAY LIFE, AS WELL AS TO CELEBRATE SPECIAL OCCASIONS.

AT AGE SEVEN, CEDI BEGAN DESIGNING POWDER GLASS BEADS, BOTH PRECOCIOUS AND BRAVE, SINCE TRADITIONALLY, BEAD ARTISANS ARE FEMALE. HIS CLIENTS NOW SPAN THE GLOBE, AS HE PERSEVERED WITH A GLASS BEAD-MAKING PRACTICE WHICH IS COLORFUL, BOLD, AND DISTINCTLY HIS OWN.

INSTEAD OF PURCHASING PREPARED MATERIALS, CEDI USES RECYCLED GLASS FOR MOST OF HIS BEADS, PRIMARILY SOURCED FROM BROKEN BOTTLES, WINDOWS, AND OTHER DISCARDED MATERIALS. THESE SHARDS ARE PULVERIZED INTO POWDER WITH THE USE OF A MORTAR AND PESTLE AND THEN PUT VERY CAREFULLY AND METICULOUSLY INTO A MOLD AND FIRED IN A CLAY KILN MADE OF THE TERMITE MOUNDS OF THE REGION.

ONCE COOLED, THE BEADS ARE ROLLED IN A WATER AND FINE SAND MIXTURE ON A STONE MORTAR TO CREATE THE DESIRED FINISH.

BEADS ARE BELOVED TO THE GHANIAN CULTURE, AND THE ABILITY TO CREATE THEM IS A HIGHLY SOUGHT-AFTER SKILL. CEDI RUNS A WORKSHOP THAT EMPLOYS REGIONAL ARTISANS INTERESTED IN LEARNING THE CRAFT. KROBO BEAD MAKING HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED TO DATE FROM AS EARLY AS THE 1920'S BUT DESPITE LIMITED ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE, IT IS BELIEVED THAT GHANIAN POWDER GLASS BEAD MAKING DATES FURTHER BACK. BEAD MAKING WAS FIRST DOCUMENTED BY JOHN BARBOT IN 1746.

BEADS ARE WORN IN AFRICA AS A CELEBRATION OF SPIRITUALITY, PROTECTION AND WEALTH.

THE COLORS RED AND ORANGE ARE THE SYMBOLS OF VITALITY AND COURAGE.

BLACK IS THE COLOR OF PROTECTION AND POWER.

GREEN IS THE COLOR OF FERTILITY AND NATURE.

BROWN IS THE SYMBOL OF STABILITY AND EARTH.

YELLOW IS THE SYMBOL OF HAPPINESS AND ENERGY.

WHITE IS THE SYMBOL OF TRUTH AND LIGHT.

GOLD IS THE SYMBOL OF HEALTH AND WEALTH.

PINK IS THE SYMBOL OF BEAUTY, KINDNESS AND CARE.

BLUE SYMBOLIZES LOYALTY AND TRUST.

PURPLE IS THE SYMBOL OF WISDOM AND SPIRITUALITY.

TURQUOISE IS A SYMBOL OF SELF-AWARENESS.