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Kiffa beads
Kiffa in the south of Mauritania is famous for its colourful glass beads, the so-called Kiffa beads. The ancient Kiffa beads can be traced back for almost 1000 years. The "kiffa" process of making beads involved the crushing of glass and mixing it with human saliva for making the core. The core was decorated with crushed glass, painted with a twig in a complex, kaleidoscopic pattern of colors and shapes. Then the beads were fired over hot coals. The loss rate was high. So the old masters, mostly elderly women, made only a few beads a day. This wonderful form of art almost disappeared about 30 years ago, but efforts are being made to bring back interest in their production. The newer beads, however, lack the beauty and precision of the vintage ones.Many collectors consider kiffa to be the zenith of the bead-makers art. It is not easy to find the older beads. In and around the market of...
