This is an antique pale yellow African made Akoso powder glass striped bead which was handmade long ago by the Akoso tribal bead makers in Ghana, Africa. This Akoso larger bead is in great rustic tribally made and used condition with some wear and patina. This rare to find antique Akoso currency trade bead measures 19.81mm long by 17.78mm wide. I would consider this a smaller Bodom bead.

Antique Bodom Ghanaian powder glass beads are recognized as larger Akoso beads which usually have a thin yellow outer layer covering a dark gray or black core. These Bodom beads often display trailed cruciform designs and other hot worked decorative patterns possibly executed over updraft furnaces similar to the type used by the modern bead workers of Bida, Nigeria today. The exact methods of Akoso bead making is now a lost and forgotten technique which is no longer possessed by the current bead makers of Ghana. These Bodom beads are highly prized and mysterious beads which are very old although there is not enough evidence to date them. To the Asante of Western Africa Bodom beads are worth their weight in gold and long ago one bead was traded for seven slaves. The Asante believe these Bodom beads have supernatural powers to multiply and also to protect their owners.

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