Beads in the Krobo Culture
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Date
2009-07-14
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Abstract
Beads are an integral part of the Krobo culture and have so many uses and symbolic meanings. But in recent times, the uses and symbolism of Krobo beads seem to be under emphasized. This study focuses on how the beads are produced, their uses and symbolism in the Krobo culture. The study is limited to the YilƆ Krobo district and is divided into five chapters. Chapter one consists of the Introduction which includes the background of the study, statement of the problem, objectives, hypothesis, importance of study and ethnographic background of the study area. Chapter two deals with the Review of Related Literature which contains the history and origin of beads and the impact ancient civilisations such as Egyptian, Greek and Roman had on the use and spread of glass beads to the world. Chapter three covers the Methodology for the study. It explains the research design, the sampling technique and instrumentation employed for the study. Chapter four is the Presentation and Discussion of Findings of the study which includes data from questionnaire, interviews and observation. Chapter four also contains the production processes of glass beads in the YilƆ Krobo district as well as the uses and symbolism of Krobo beads. Chapter five summarises all the findings of the study with conclusions and recommendations. Based on the findings, the uses of beads cannot be under emphasized in the Krobo culture. Beads are used in all aspects of their lives and without its vibrancy, their culture will be meaningless. One of the recommendations made was that more research and documentation about the Krobo culture should be done to preserve the rich Krobo cultural heritage. Beads that were identified during the study were put into a chart for easy presentation and referencing with their description, common uses and symbolism.
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A Thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of Degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN AFRICAN ART AND CULTURE.