Eleven Beads

This necklace is made of eleven gold beads: five rectangular, three bi-conical, two cylindrical, and one circular. Each one is decorated with intricate patterns created with a method known as lost-wax casting, which employs a wax model and mold to achieve the final gold object. These beads demonstrate the skills of Baule and Lagoon goldsmiths, as well as the endless malleability of gold. They present a rich variety of patterns: one rectangular bead is decorated with parallel rows of discs in a sort of filigree, while the other four rectangular beads show parallel braided patterns and are of various sizes. The three bi-conical and two cylindrical beads’ surfaces are adorned with fine raised dots punctuated by openwork patterns. The central circular bead, which likely represents a sun disk, combines concentric threads of gold and small triangular projections. These are popular motifs in Baule goldwork.

Gold beads such as these might be part of a matrilineal family’s sacred inheritance, which is a set of precious objects are kept as a shrine to the family’s ancestors. They are also used in gold display ceremonies to demonstrate the head of the family’s wealth. Each type of bead is named after a common or proverbial object, such as "bamboo door" or "setting sun," and there is a saying attached to each name. Circular beads, like the central ornament on this necklace, have special significance in Baule culture and are sometimes given to a bride’s family as a symbol of the groom’s intent to marry.

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