African and Her Love for Jewelry

Beading is a very popular form of craft work in Africa. Origin of beading dates back to the time of our forefathers and mothers centuries ago. Beads are used by African mothers and maidens as ornaments of beauty. Young maidens were adorned with beads while they prepare to meet with their husbands to be. Back then, our mothers through wisdom were able to use cycle beads as a means of birth control. Today, it will amaze you that beads are still in vogue. Beads have been taken to the next level. They have been turned to fashion accessories that are highly prized or sought-after both locally and internationally.

Brief about beading in Nigeria

Benin Bead Art

In the Old Kingdom of Benin, beads were so important that a ceremony named ‘The Honor of the Beads’ was established many centuries ago, similar to knighthood in Europe. Once a year, the Oba (King) rode through the city, personally conferring upon specially selected subjects the honor of wearing the royal bead. To appear before the Obas without wearing the beads thereafter was an offense punishable by death. At first these royal beads were hand carved of jasper and carnelian, mined locally or imported from India. Coral beads were then introduced by the Portuguese in the 16th century. Whole shirts and tunics of Benin court costumes were made of them. The coral clothes were so heavy, an Oba could only walk supported by two attendants. Commoners were forbidden by execution from wearing royal beads, so clever imitations were made as far back as the 17th century. These old glass beads are nearly as treasured now as the royal beads. Benin and Nigerian Yoruba royalty still wear coral beads, as well as the ancient beads made of agate and jasper.

Types of beads:

corals

Ornamental necklace

Beads are named from their origins and materials by which they are made. It’s always better to be in the know about the latest trend in beads. Beads are made of many materials. These include glass, wood, horn, bone, plastic, metal, foam, paper, clay, shell, stone etc. The beads are named after the materials they are made of. For example we have the ones made of plastics (called plastic beads), metal ones (metal beads). Then we have the semi-precious beads which are classy and expensive e.g. Gemstone beads, Glass beads, Cat eyes, Birthstones, Milk beads, Amber beads etc. Your ability to recognize these brands of beads stands you out especially when you want to make for clients. Plastic beads – They are ideal for learning and weaving work. They can also be combined with heavy beads to reduce the weight and bring out unique designs. Seed beads – They are tiny beads used mainly for weaving and as stoppers at the end of a bead design. They are found mostly in india. Sequins and bugle beads – They are used mainly for sewing projects. They add colour to designs on clothes. Swarovski – They are flashy in outlook. They are expensive and are sold in counting form. You are sure to make more money making and selling this. Coral beads – You can get these beads from the sea. The come in different colours. The corals come in red and pink. Bead designs Your designs are what stand you out. No matter the number of players in the industry, if you are creative then you stand a chance in the market place. Some designs include; mating bead design, single full beaded design, Ball design, Snake design, Twist bead design, layers, Ring and Bracelet,etc.

African Woman

African Beads and Ornaments

Selective Notes About Beads

Beads are fascinating from their significant function in the global economy and in cultural history. For millennia beads have described mankind’s attraction to commodity and trade. Archaeological evidence has uncovered African beads from most parts of the continent. Environmental factors, the availability and distribution of raw materials as well as exposure to Islamic and European culture and technology has influenced African bead making. Beads are made from many different materials such as eggshell, clay, mineral gemstones, glass, and gold, wood, metal and organic things, like nuts, seeds and teeth. Ghana’s Asante people fabricate gold beads from the lost wax casting process.

As adornment, beads are fine jewelry, regalia of ceremony and royalty and are used for medicinal purposes. Large quantities of beads have been buried in tombs of the noble and in African slaves’ coffins as veneration to the ancestors. As legal money, beads were bartered to buy humans, gold, and ivory during the Atlantic slave trade. Even a portion of New York was purchased with beads. Intrigued by a dazzling robin’s egg blue bead at the African Bead Museum during a recent visit, I discovered it to be Russian Blue, once traded for Africans during the African Holocaust. I was shocked when Dabls revealed such tragic information. A popular bead within Africa based on its symbolic reference to female fertility is the cowry shell. They first came to Egypt and the Arab trading center of Fostast near Cairo after the defeat of the Byzantines.Through continued distribution cowries crossed the Sahara to western Sudan, to later be distributed by Dutch and English merchants through the Guinea Coast ports of West Africa

Ornamental and symbolic beadwork has traditionally announced ethnic identity, age group, marital status and station in society. Culture in Africa is dramatically linked to beads, probably more so than elsewhere in the world. Beads are the main component of everyday dress among Africans. Beads represent a communicative value system which proclaims religion, political affiliation and artistic attitude. Centuries past, when Portugal traded coral beads to Benin, kings made tunics and shirts with them. The beaded garments were so heavy they restricted the king’s mobility; thus he could not walk without assistance. For Ndebele women of South Africa, beaded aprons, capes and shawls attest to stages of female maturity.

Much earlier, mothers in Angola (Central Africa) put strands of ostrich egg shell beads around a female baby’s waist, adding strands as she grew. Unmarried Turkana girls in East Africa wear goat skin shirts adorned with ostrich eggshell and glass beads which are gradually lengthened as they reach marrying age. Among other East African patriarchal pastoral groups where arranged marriages occur, Sambura men think women do not have enough beads until their chins are supported by their necklaces. Girls and women garner multiple strands of tiny beads as beautification. For the Massai female, the focal point of adornment is an array of flat circular beaded collars constructed with leather and wire

GO HANDS-FREE FOR EVENING

A dressy bag with a chain helps you hold crudités and a cocktail—plus, it lends a cool edge to evening wear, says stylist Cher Coulter. Wear the chain diagonally across your body for the best effect.

ONSIDER THE WEAR AND CARE

Before you buy, try to gauge how a piece might hold up after a few washings. And don't shell out for clothes you can't, or won't, take care of. If you know you'll never hand-wash that embellished sweater or fancy bra, walk away.

 EMBRACE YOUR SHAPE

"Once you know which silhouettes flatter you, filter trends ruthlessly," says designerShoshanna Gruss. For instance, if you're petite and shapely, it's best to avoid tall columns and billowy maxis even if you love them. Go for a dress with a defined waist and just-above-the-knee hem.

MAKE A LIST BEFORE YOU SHOP

Not of what you want to buy, but of the 10 fave items in your closet. This will help you zero in on pieces that mesh with what you own (or remind you that you never actually wear big floral prints).

THROW ON A SCARF

It's the ultimate accessory according to a host of the best-dressed women we interviewed. Stash one in your purse or carry-on to transform simple Ts in the time it takes

to make a knot.

HEM YOUR PANTS FOR A SHOE HEIGHT

"The biggest mistake women make is wearing pants that aren't the right length for their shoes," says stylist Kate Young. To fix this, hem to either heels or flats—no going back. Generally, hems should just graze the tops of your shoes and be from 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch off the floor.

Fashion Show

 Each fashion week has more than 100 events and the top designers will showcase their collection including shoes by designer during the main week and the smaller labels before or after. The events include runway shows, gala dinners and charity events.

 Fashion Weeks originally where trade-only events for buyers and manufacturers. This has changed and they are now highly publicized events which attract celebrities and the “creme de la creme” from all over the world.

. Back in the 1930′s, women in Bermuda were forbidden to show their thighs in public. Female visitors and local residents wanted to wear shorts so they simply lengthened the length of their shorts to the knee to cover their thighs