Aggry beads

Aggry beads (also spelled aggri beads or aggrey beads) are a type of decorated glass bead from Ghana, used by West Africans as ornaments in necklaces, bracelets and other jewelry.[1]

Aggry beads are also called Koli, Cori, Kor, Segi, Accori, or Ekeur.[2]

They are often used for medicinal purposes, as it is believed that they have magical powers.[1]

Beads were used for exchange and as a means of payment during trade in Africa. Europeans first collected aggry beads from the West Coast of Africa in the fifteenth century.[1]

Their origin is obscure. Depending on different sources, beads labelled such may be made from glass, coral, or stone, and were typically blue.[2][3] It is possible that the original Aggry beads came from the Phoenicians, who used it as a means of trading along the coasts of Europa, Asia and Africa.[4]

Sometimes millefiori beads are called "Aggrey", but this may be incorrect.

References
  1. Quiggin, A. Hingston (1949). A Survey Of Primitive Money. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd. pp. 36–44.
  2. Francis, Jr., Peter. "The Aggrey Bead and it's Namesakes". The Bead Site. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  3. Wiener, Leo (1922). "Aggry Beads". Africa and the Discovery of America. 2. Philadelphia, PA: Innes & Sons. pp. 237–248.
  4. Rawlinson, George (1889). Phoenicia. London: T. Fisher Unwin. p. 283.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.