Fascinating Facts about Kiffa Beads

Kiffa beads are specific to the culture and society of south central Mauritania. It is believed that Mauritania was a part of the Ghana Empire that existed from 750 to 1240 CE and included south eastern Mauritania and some areas of Mali, whose economy rose because of the trading of gold, ivory and salt. Archaeologists could still find Kiffa beads, a type of glass beads in the sand dunes covering the ruins of Koumbi Saleh.

Kifffa beads were created as a tribute to the Almighty. People of Mauritania made them in small quantities and presented them to their loved ones. Each and every element of the bead such as a line, a dot or a curve is the craftsman’s interpretation of the universe. Emotional aspects of life were also reflected in the bead work. People did not make the beads solely for money, but they got mental peace and happiness on seeing the exquisite beauty of the Kiffa beads they made.

As the Mauritania people believe, the Kiffa beads have some kind of magical power that keeps them away from possible illness due to evil powers. They also believed that the beads have a positive influence on their emotions and keeping the bead under their tongue transfers its magical powers to them.

The most interesting thing about Kiffa beads is the manufacturing technique involved in making them. In order to make wet-core powder glass Kiffa beads, they crush the glass into a fine powder and mix it with saliva that acts as the binder. To make the core for triangular beads, they fasten two stiff grasses together. The moistened glass powder is built over the grass-made triangular structure and smoothed using razor blade. They then apply decorative patterns on them by making use of a needle. Finally, the beads are fired without the use of any moulds.

The traditional Kiffa beads look more attractive compared to the contemporary ones. They reflect a high level of craftsmanship and quality. It is very hard to find a modern day bead maker that gives the same glow to the Kiffa beads just like the traditional beads. The reason might be this — the modern day craftsmen manufacture these beads to make money, but the people of ancient Mauritania did it with real interest, as a hobby. If you are a collector of ancient beads, then you surely have to look out for the traditional Kiffa beads.