For the bead enthusiast and Collector there can be few countries as exciting and rewarding as Ghana in West Africa. Not only does Ghana have a democratically elected government, it is also mainly English speaking, and is a very safe and interesting country to travel in.

 The beads that may be found in the markets came to Ghana via 3 different routes.

 1. Brought in along the Arab trans-Saharan trade routes.  Types of beads include Indian, Islamic, Egyptian, and Roman.  Traders from other African Countries such as Mali and Nigeria took Agate, Carnelian and Granite beads to Ghana. Powder Glass Kiffa beads were imported from Mauritania.

 2. Originating in Ghana – Evidence of bead production comes from stone beads excavated in rock shelters used around 3000-2000B.C.  Later excavations in the Akuapem Hills found shell, stone and glass beads from 1600AD. Bauxite, mined locally was used to make many of these beads and they can be found for sale in most of the bead markets that we visited.  Glass bead making in Ghana seems to have begun in Begho in the north about 700A.D, but future excavations could reveal older glass beads than this.  Gold beads made around1400AD have also been found.  Lots of old glass Ghanaian beads can still be bought in the market, but it can be extremely difficult to distinguish the old beads from those made recently.  Generally older beads will be more chipped and pitted. Colours available to West African bead makers also offer us a clue to the origin of a bead.  Yellow, green, pale blue, purple and cobalt blue were common and yellow beads can be dated more easily as a later dye was much brighter. Brick red was not used and any very old beads of this colour are more likely to be Indo-Pacific or European rather than African.

3. Brought in by the Europeans - First the Portuguese then British, Germans and Dutch used to trade for slaves gold and spices.  These beads were made in Venice, Bohemia, Germany and Holland and are described as Trade Beads.

 I strongly recommend that visitors to Accra call in at The Museum of Archaeology located on the campus of The University of Ghana in Legon, Accra. The museum has an important section on beads and their history that I found particularly helpful when it came to identifying some of the beads that I bought in Ghana.  The admission is free and it’s open on weekdays only.  A recently published book edited by Alexandra Wilson, THE BEAD IS CONSTANT, can be bought in the University bookshop (closed for lunch from 12.30-1.30). This excellent publication includes interviews with many Ghanaian Bead Makers and sellers, as well as a section on the History of Beads in Ghana.

The chapter on Aggrey beads is fascinating and I was thrilled to find one amongst a large pile of beads I’d bought in Koforidua market.

 Our Bead Trip Itinerary

 This trip would ideally start on a Tuesday and takes at least 8 days but I recommend allowing 14 to allow for rest days and sightseeing.  It’s surprisingly easy to get around in taxis and tro – tros, but this type of travel is not for the faint hearted or acrophobic.  All vehicles in Ghana are well past their sell by dates, and unless you travel in a private taxi, you will be packed in very tightly indeed!

The idea to go to Ghana to buy beads had been buzzing around in the back of my mind for some time, but it was a chance remark at an exhibition of my partner’s work that started the ball rolling.  I mentioned to two friends how much I wanted to go to West Africa but was nervous about going alone.  David, who’d travelled the world in his 40’s, then stayed at home to care for his invalid mother for 20 years, immediately volunteered to accompany me. We spoke no more about it on that occasion as I thought he was just being polite, but the next time that we met Ghana was the main topic of conversation and I could see that David was really serious about coming with me.

The next year saw many disruptions to my life; my father was diagnosed with cancer and I was needed to help with his care.  In June 2004 he died and I went back home to pick up the pieces of the jewellery business I’d started the year before.  Going to Africa seemed like an impossible dream and I wrote to David to tell him so.  Luckily he changed my mind for me and we decided we would fly to Accra in January:  A good time to go as it would be the dry season; easier to get about and fewer mosquitos.

We flew British Airways from the UK, arriving in Accra around 9pm it seemed to take forever to get through passport control, but eventually we emerged into the African night.  Our adventure was about to begin!

Nothing can prepare you for your first site of Africa.  The smells, the heat, the noise are all totally unique to that continent.  Thankfully these are not things you will experience in London or New York.  We were lucky with our choice of guesthouse, which by our standards was very basic but by standards in Ghana was luxurious.  All I really cared about was a shower and the fact that only cold water was available was immaterial. We arrived tired and hot and after an endless crawl in the taxi through the suburbs, and were grateful to get under the shower and sink into our beds.

The next day we’d decided to try to see the 2 markets at Kaneshie and Markola having no idea of the scale of a market in this part of the world.  Despite the haze caused by the Harmattan blowing sand in from the Sahara Desert, we were walking in intense heat and humidity.  The roads have open sewers, which every so often we needed to jump across while crowds of African traders loaded with goods bumped and pushed. After 30 mins of this activity, exhaustion set in.  We did reach the outskirts of Markola but were unable to find a way in.  Not a very good start to our trip.  Having been revived by an afternoon nap, we set off by taxi for Kaneshie market which takes place on 3 floors, the bead sellers being on the first and second floor.  The stalls here were very disappointing with only a few strands of old beads for sale.  We decided not to buy and hoped that the Koforidua Market would be more promising.

Early the next day we left by a very dilapidated land rover bound for Koforidua at breakneck speed that forced me to spend the whole journey looking at my feet  I managed to hold onto my breakfast. Just!  I daren’t look up!  The bead market here takes place every Thursday.  Once in town we opted to stay in the most upmarket hotel here, as we felt in need of pampering and air conditioning.  Even so our room was only £20 for a night.  We did feel privileged as few Ghanaians could afford even this price.

With the rising sun, we were out on the side of the road looking for a taxi.  Excitement mounting as we anticipated the wonderful beads we’d find!  Jumping into a shared taxi we headed into town.  Luckily for us the other passenger was going to the market too and was also related to one of the bead sellers.  He was an Assembly Man (local councillor) from the Manya -Krobo region and gave us directions to his brother’s factory.  Sadly our itinerary didn’t allow us to visit but perhaps next time!

 Bead sellers in Koforidua Market

 Emerging from the taxi we were amazed to see a huge lorry park full of bead sellers, some with tables, and some with just a cloth spread out on the dirt.  We were glad we’d both dressed suitably as it wasn’t long before we were crouching in the dust searching through piles of loose beads.  I was really lucky to discover what I believe is an original Aggrey bead buried in the mass.

In this market as in most of the others that we visited, there seem to be 3 distinct types of sellers.

1. Selling new locally made very brightly coloured glass beads in long raffia strands. The designs seem to vary only slightly between sellers, which I found puzzling as more variety would cater for a greater amount of different tastes.  Apparently bead sellers have a real problem with other people copying their designs.  Often when they make a new bead, they avoid selling it in the market for this very reason.

2. Selling a mixture of new and old beads in a very professional way with a lot of very choice beads, but at fairly high prices (you do have the right to haggle!)  These dealers will have contacts in Europe and USA.

3, Nomadic traders, generally men, who travel all over West Africa and have the most exciting range of beads at the best price.  They often have strands of excavated stone beads and piles of loose beads.

I got so carried away, that I ended up buying quite a few beads from the first stall holder we came across.  This was a mistake.  The best way to buy is to visit every stall and work out which beads you want and how much you will pay for them . It really helps to take a note book and note down the prices the traders give, you can usually rely on them ‘inflating’ the price by at least 50%.  Take your time; find a local spot (bar), sip a cold beer and then decide what beads you’ll buy and how much you will pay for them, then go and haggle; its great fun, really!  If you do come across something very rare, don’t assume you’ll get it for a song.  The traders will have an idea of the worth, so be realistic or you may go away empty handed.  Prices do vary considerably and if you are with a Ghanaian and can get them to buy for you, you’ll get the best deal.  Prices I paid in Koforidua were 300,000 cedis for a strand of old Carnelian beads, 500,000 cedis for round Kiffa beads, 40,000 cedis each for a large Chevron bead and 120,000 cedis for a strand of Venetian Feather beads.  A handful of assorted beads cost 80,000 cedis.  Luckily The ATM machine at Barclays bank is very close by!  A tip I offer is to take dollars with you as some traders will offer a considerable discount for payment in dollars. As well as these beads, I bought Russian Blues, Early Venetian King, Faceted Czech and Ancient Mali Granite Beads.

About 1 hour’s journey from Koforidua towards the River Volta is Agomanya, which has a section of the main market dedicated to beads on a Wednesday and Saturday.  It opens about 9am.  We stayed at Traycourt Leisure Centre, a laid back guesthouse with a good bar and Restaurant open 24 hours in beautiful gardens.  Single rooms with a fan and shower were 60,000 cedis.

It’s easy to Agomanya by tro-tro or the owner will phone for a taxi.  On the other side of the road from Traycourt are 2 bead shops selling a range of glass beads from 5,000 cedis. There is very little hassle to buy here so it’s pleasant to browse!

Agomayna on market day is the usual African crush.  To find the beads, ask any of the stallholders, better still, buy something from them and they’ll be even more helpful!

We recognised some faces from Koforidua but there were plenty of other sellers too. Luckily we passed by the first stalls and eventually discovered a stall standing slightly apart from the rest.  The beads here were being sold by a curious group of men, much more laid back than their female counterparts; in fact one was lying asleep across the back of his stand!  These beads were more exciting than any we’d seen so far.  As well as most types of European Trade beads, there were stone, shell and amber beads from across the continent. I was tempted by 3 strands of huge Adventurine beads bought from Mali.  It was only the $700 that held me back and when I checked with a few bead sites in the UK, I found similar strands for much less.  What I did buy was a long strand of spectacular disk shaped beads made from amber recovered from a river in Guinea Bissau, some red and black Venetian Chevron beads and Mali Wedding beads.  Packing away my beads, I spotted necklace of old white agates for 300,000. I couldn’t get the seller to come down at on these, but just as we were about to leave, my friend tried offering dollars.  It did the trick the priced was halved and we left happy.

When you’re in Agomanya it’s easy to get to the Cedis Bead Factory by hoping on a tro-tro outside the market, which drops you off at the end of Cedis driveway.  If by now you’re exhausted by all the haggling in the market, a taxi will take you all the way. Cedis is one of the many bead factories in this area welcoming visitors.  Here you can see how powder beads are made; a technology that’s not changed in decades.  A big wood fired kiln is used to melt the powder glass in their little round mould, then they are quickly pieced while hot to create a stringing hole.  The people who work at Cedis will be very happy to explain the techniques to you and there’s a showroom where you can buy.

To reach Kumasi we decided to head back to Accra and catch a very luxurious, by Ghanaian standards, STC coach which takes 5 hours.  Unfortunately, although the line is still there, the railway no longer runs so a coach is the only option for this long journey.  Tickets must be bought before travel, and as the service is so popular, either get there very early or buy the day before you travel.  If you do get stuck there, we can recommend the canteen serving Ghanaian dishes like yam and plantain for around 16,000 cedis.

Kumasi is a large vibrant town that feels much hotter than Accra as it’s inland.  All around the town is lush vegetation and the remnants of the tropical rainforest that once stood here.  It’s possible to make several day trips to visit nearby reserves or to Lake Bosumtwi, created by a huge meteorite.

Getting around Kumasi is a great deal easier than Accra.  The layout is very ‘European.’  Old colonial buildings are still dotted about in a pretty dilapidated state, but still retain much of their original charm.  Unless you like noise, it’s best to stay out of town in one of the very pleasant lodges along The Old Beckwai Road.

In town The Catering Rest house occupies a quiet position, so would make a very convenient base, as it’s possible to walk from here to Kejetia Market.

Kejetia Market is reputed to be the largest in West Africa and certainly not for the faint hearted even with a guide!  The hassle factor is virtually non-existent, but walkways within the market are so narrow, it’s difficult to avoid collisions with loaded market traders and buyers that could result in you getting pushed into a sewer!  Or as happened to us, showered with hundred of tiny died fish from a sack being carried splitting open!

Rather than go through the whole market, which sells mainly food (avoid at all costs the meat section), fabrics and household products, we entered from an area called Roman Hill where a small lane step steps lead down into the bead zone.  Unlike Koforidua and Agomanya, the bead sellers are not grouped in one area but are separated by stalls selling other goods.  We found the prices and selection of beads superior to elsewhere. As usual in these markets, once you’ve finished looking at one stall, there will be someone close by waiting to lead you to his brothers/friends stall! You will be too big a prize to escape this attention!

It’s possible to buy almost every type of Trade Bead here as well as stone, Indo -Pacific and Islamic beads. The only draw back is the little shops where the beads hang are so dark, it’s impossible to tell exactly what the beads are.  Take a torch if possible! We found the best thing to do was to sit down in the shop entrance and get the owner to bring us strands to inspect.  My purchases here included some huge old White Agates for 120,000 cedis, Red Elbow beads for 140,000 cedis, Venetian Fancies and some very interesting striped powder glass beads for 140,000 cedis.  We left the market worn out, but happy and also relieved that we had actually found the way out!

Back at our hotel I spread the beads out on my bead.  Some were familiar to me; Venetian Millifiori, Carnelians, Elbow Beads, Chevrons and Russian Blues.  Others were a complete mystery and I still have to identify them.  This is one that I think was made in Peking. The surface is very shiny, not at all like the Czech and Venetian beads in my collection.  Or is it Indian? One thing to watch out for when buying old strands is Indian copies of Trade Beads such as Chevrons or Millifiori.  There are some very nice Indian beads which are fine if like me you want to include them in a piece of jewellery, but they are not the old genuine beads, so you will need to be careful if you are buying to resell.  The website www.Africantradebeads.com  has some very good pictures of modern production Indian Chevrons for comparison.