Rare Mauritanian Kiffa powder glass Beads

A remarkable collection of 24 Kiffa beads. These beads date from the first half of the 20th century, possibly earlier, and are definitely from the classic period of production which ceased in 1970. Modern revival beads simply lack the sophistication and technical skill evident in this collection.

Kiffa beads are remarkable, displaying the highest levels of artistic skill and ingenuity, being manufactured with the simplest materials and tools. Each bead is a small work of art. The term ‘Kiffa’ comes from the main manufacturing centre of Kiffa in Mauritania.

Glass, which was finely crushed to a powder, was mixed with a binder such as saliva or gum arabic diluted in water. Decorations were made from the glass slurry applied with a pointed tool, usually a steel needle. The beads were placed in small containers and heated on open fires to fuse the glass.

Kiffa beads were made in various shapes:
Blue, red, and polychromatic triangles.
Blue, red and polychromatic diamond-shaped beads.
Cigar shaped and conical beads as well as a variety of small spherical and oblate beads.

Colour sequences on traditional beads with polychromatic decorations are always the same, i.e. red-yellow-black (dark brown)-yellow-red-white-blue-white. Often the obverse is decorated as well, and it may be that different bead making families had their own distinct styles. For wearers, these beads held amuletic properties. The colours, shapes and the many different intricate decorative patterns all having specific meanings, most of them forgotten today.

Diamond-shaped Kiffa beads were traditionally worn on bracelets, sewn onto strips of leather, and arranged in traditional sets composed of a specific ratio of blue to red to polychromatic specimens. The patterns are believed to protect and to increase the fertility of their wearers. It has also been proposed that some might imitate cowrie shells. Triangular-shaped and spherical beads were worn as hair ornaments and traditional assemblages could be composed of two complementary sets of three triangular beads (one blue, one red and one polychromatic) worn at temple height. Many of the small spherical or oblate-shaped beads were hair ornaments or worn in necklaces in various combinations with other glass and stone beads and were made by decorating a red, blue or white preformed glass bead "core".

Dimensions:
Triangular bead dimensions 31mm to 17mm long
Large round: 15mm diameter x 13mm
Total weight 70gms.

Condition: All are first quality with no damage with the exception of one red triangular bead which has a small chip to a back corner. See photographs. Collections such as this rarely come to market.
(Please note: Overseas buyers are responsible for any import duties)