Through the eye of the bead. Fieldwork and collecting in Ghana
Through the eye of the bead. Fieldwork and collecting in Ghana

Summary/Abstract: The photo essay presents selected aspects of a two-month field research and object collection on Ghanaian bead culture, carried out in the spring of 2023 with the assistance of Kati Torda, a Ghana-based bead expert of Hungarian origin. For the Museum of Ethnography, I documented – through photographs and videos – seven bead-making techniques using various materials: glass powder, crushed glass, bauxite, snail shell, brass/bronze, plastic, and horn, I also collected objects ranging from raw materials to finished products, including tools. The research further explored the cultural significance of beads: their role in rites of passage (birth, naming ceremonies, initiation of adolescent girls, marriage, and death/funerals), their use in expressing social status and special functions, and personal attitudes towards wearing them.

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