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"Eje" --- "Aja" bead question.
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Posted by: Dog Bone Crazy

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04/23/2017, 07:01:02

Hello All;

Since my return from Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago. I have been working on my idea of displaying a portion of my collection. I am getting too old to be carrying heavy boxes of beads up and down from the basement. Then having to dig to find the beads I want to play with. I am now working with my aja beads. My question is. What is the definition of an aja bead. Are they only the beads that have been heated then mashed. Or are they any heated mashed bead or thinly sliced bead? Were they made in Europe? Africa? Or both?

Your help please.

Sincerely
Thomas Mercer

A stroll down Aja lane....
Re: "Eje" --- "Aja" bead question. -- Dog Bone Crazy	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: Joyce

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04/23/2017, 23:35:34

Hi Thomas,

I don't know of any further info having come to light since these discussions...

http://beadcollector.net/cgi-bin/anyboard.cgi?fvp=/openforum/&cmd=iYz&aK=99690&iZz=99690&gV=0&kQz=&aO=1&iWz=0

You will likely have a great time organizing your beads!

Here is an image of aja from the Picard Museum, 2012.

Modified by Joyce at Sun, Apr 23, 2017, 23:39:44

Thank you Joyce
Re: A stroll down Aja lane.... -- Joyce	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: Dog Bone Crazy

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04/24/2017, 05:22:23

Re: "Eje" --- "Aja" bead question.
Re: "Eje" --- "Aja" bead question. -- Dog Bone Crazy	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: JP

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04/24/2017, 18:50:27

Aja is an African name for this type of sliced beads. The beads (and their name) came from the trade in Nigeria and Aja is probably a Hausa word.
Some are just sliced from drawn tubes in the cold state, but most go to additional labor. The thin slices are heated, squeezed and flattened with a tool in the hot state that give them a distinctive distorted look.
I believe they were made that way in Murano, at least the squashed version.
JP

Thank you JP.
Re: Re: "Eje" --- "Aja" bead question. -- JP	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: Dog Bone Crazy

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04/24/2017, 19:21:40

Awale—2008
Re: Re: "Eje" --- "Aja" bead question. -- JP	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: Beadman

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04/29/2017, 13:01:56

The Google Translation from Yoruba for "aje" is "witch," or "witchcraft." In Yoruba beadmaking or glassworking, the contents of a crucible, containing beads that were melted together (to make new things) was called "aje ileke" (meaning "the richest part of the crucible"—according to our informant, Dr. Eluyemi, 1998). These were used in wedding ceremonies and other rituals. The Yoruba word for "bead" is "ileke," literally meaning "coral."

Modified by Beadman at Sat, Apr 29, 2017, 13:04:23

thank you beadman
Re: Awale—2008 -- Beadman	Post Reply	Edit		Forum	Where am I?

Posted by: Dog Bone Crazy

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04/29/2017, 13:19:17

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