African Beads: Jewels of a Continent
African Beads: Jewels of a Continentis a magnificent showcase of African beads. The beads are presented as if they were in front of the very eyes of the reader and could be reached out and touched. The book entices and one cannot help reading until the last page. The quality of the paper and the colorful beads urge the reader to complete and never leave the book.African Beadsis a comprehensive work on beads made in Africa. The book gives due credit to African craftsmen and women and promotes the economic value of the bead artifact. In the final analysis this book has preserved and documented African beads in a way that most Africanist historians have wished to see.The authors collection of beads from all different regions of the Continent shows how much effort has been put into the preparation of the book. As the result of this, we see excellent assemblages and photographs of beads that have been surface collected, dug up from archaeological sites or attained through trade. All photographs are provided with captions. Many photographs are in full-page view.   The book ignites the fire of embarking on either bead collection or bead trade. It assures the reader that bead entrepreneurship by sales or through tourist attractions could hence generate an income (Refer to photo of Mursi people, Omo Valley, Southern Ethiopia in Foreword .)African Beadsis mainly descriptive due to its wide coverage i.e., the Continent Africa and is less analytical, though not without sophistication. The monograph, African Beads: Jewels of a Continent, has a special style and approach that sets a new standard to be followed by professionals and amateurs in bead writing and collection. Although, the price makes the book unaffordable for many Africans, it is recommended for purchase by African academic and public libraries.Dwelling more on the legends of beads, which Africa is rich for, and including an African as either as co-author or editor or even additional author would have added more value to the book.The book has categorically refuted the understanding that African beads are less attractive and interesting. Furthermore, the book has become so indispensable that to have a comprehensive knowledge of African beads, the book is a must. --Hansemo Hamela, M.A., Ethiopian Bead SocietyAs the first book to focus exclusively on African-made beads,African Beads: Jewels of a Continentis an essential addition to the bead enthusiasts library. It would be hard to imagine a bead collector without ANY African-made beads in their collection. (Although I remember, in my beginning bead days, being surprised that African Trade Beads were NOT made in Africa (my assumption), but had been traded into Africa from Europe and Asia.)One of the most important contributions ofAfrican Beads: Jewels of a Continent, with the Introduction by Lois Sherr Dubin, is that it spurs the reader to learn more. Fortunately the bibliography provides an excellent starting point for further study.As Mr. Hamela points out, the book highlights the value and traditions of African craftsmen and women and African artists. In terms of scholarship, the knowledge of African beads is advancing. And much research has been added since the publication ofAfrica Adorned(one of the key references for Ethiopian content).On a personal note,African Beads: Jewels of a Continenthas contributed to my goal to learn about/make beads and jewelry from as many different materials as possible. Hence possibly my favorite beads are the termite mound beads, p. 77. (Is this possible to have a favorite?)If one knew everything about beads, one would know everything about everything! About every material, every culture, every historical period. Therefore, as this is an impossible task, putting everything about African-made beads in one book would be impossible. However,African Beads: Jewels of a Continentgives us the motivation and courage to continue our quest for bead knowledge. --Deborah Zinn, Ethiopian Bead Society, Global Interactive Bead Database