Aggry beads
Akori beads are jewel like processed, ancient and very precious ornaments of the peoples of the coastal and coastal hinterland of West African Ivory, Gold and Slave Coast.
Most of the Europeans who have left us in historical time reports on this stretch of coastline, mention Akori beads that have stood very high in demand among the locals and with the highest level which could be expected, which embodied a value in pre-colonial Africa. As reported by the early Portuguese, that they would swop over their built in 1487 Faktorei in Gwato, the main port of the old empire Benin, mainly cotton goods, animal skins and Akori beads. Akori beads were, among others, on the Gold Coast in high esteem and were paid will also correspondingly expensive. For the European jewelry industry the Portuguese, the Akoris but appeared as enough that it might be worthwhile to run it on a larger scale to Europe not nice. In addition, settled with them on the Gold Coast also very much to do better business, so that you shopped this mainly in Benin in order to sell them on the Gold Coast again.
Shape and form
Akori beads have an elongated cylindrical shape with an oval cross section in the width of the little finger and the length of a finger member. They have a central, consistently extending opening in the longitudinal direction. Their surface is usually decorated masterfully with ornamentation, from ancient times to even Akoris exist which were covered with a kind of mosaic of a kind tortoiseshell or other material, and this in a technique, as it is otherwise known only from ancient Egypt;. Romans mentioned that it it at the time ( 1760s ) were in four or five colors: red, green, blue, yellow and white, and that their coloring had a flamed or striped form.
Material
The beads known as Akoris gave the Europeans have always been greatest puzzle, particularly in relation to material constituting the beads, and especially of its origin. Even today date back to the material and its origin, the opinions differ.
Agree, however, one is about the fact that these are not corals, or rather, their former dwellings. A comparison with actual coral material shows that the Akori material is structured very much harder and finer and more reminiscent of glass or ceramic, as consist of limestone in the form of aragonite, corals from the housing for the most part. Romans called the fabric of his time as porcelain.
Summing up the past and present material theories once together, the two main trends are emerging: One faction favors an organic origin, the other an inorganic.
Theory of the inorganic origin
Among the representatives of the " inorganic theory " suggests some, that it is at the Akori beads to glass beads Mediterranean, possibly of Venetian origin, which once brought the ancestors of today's Akan on the Gold Coast from the old kingdom Gana, where a kind of commodity if not, a value equivalent in the trans-Saharan gold trade embodied. Some even speak of a Carthaginian origin, where industrial production, however, unless they really existed, disappeared with the fall of Carthage. Other authors suggest again Alto India or China as the origin of an old man-made material.
Theory of organic origin
The representatives of the " organic theory " on the other side of the sign relationship between Akori and Kauri to the starting point. This could be one and the same word, as in the past among other spellings such as Cory, Aigri, AGRIE, Aggrey appeared etc.. From today's perspective is not entirely clear whether these spellings really cowries or Akori beads were meant, especially since there was a clear distinction between the two. Cowries are there if one disregards the Canary Islands in the Atlantic, only in the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. However, the material of the cowries is already in appearance, completely different material than that of the Akori - pearl. However, it also seems quite possible that this is to some, living in the sea creatures, regardless of whether coral, shell, snail or whatever, their existence and their knowledge of is unfortunately lost over time.
Raymond Mauny suggested that the material could be interpreted as coming from Allopora subviolacea, but this one is bluish- violet, but which in this context, however, could only be interpreted as a certain variety of those marine life, were made from the remnants they Akoris.
Theory of an Asian origin
Whether natural or artificial origin, it seems reasonable to assume that the value equivalent Akori Pearl could have served the equivalent value Cowrie as a replacement or vice versa. Who here who served as a substitute, but must remain open and perhaps also depends on whether one postulates a natural or artificial origin of Akori beads. Also could both names Akori or Kauri, be the linguistic relic of the name of an ancient currency in the Indian coastal region, had served as the ingredients or perhaps the replacement Akori beads and the cowry shells once. In addition, also seems the asian tables space as point of origin to be more likely than Venice or Carthage, but which should not be disregarded that the trans-Saharan trade of antiquity had had quite even after India and China, a compound that until the Islamic conquest of North Africa However, it was come no later than the fall of Constantinople in 1453 Opel finally ceased.
Some authors report in connection with the Kisra legend that the Yoruba Akoris have brought, as they had migrated from the Arabian Peninsula from the time of early Islamic conquests in Africa. So, for example, were some specific Akori beads that are supposed to be all of a red color, as one of the insignia of the pre-Islamic, ancient Arabian royal dignity and according to tradition once from Oduduwa, the founder of Ile- Ife ( and descendants of an ancient Arab, pre-Islamic royal family ) his 6th grandchildren Olu Popo handed over for safekeeping, as he divided his newly created kingdom among his grandchildren. The later named after Olu Popo Popo was the westernmost province outside the province of the kingdom of Oyo with Kétou as its capital. Later, making, however, about the Ouémé and populated new areas east of the river Mono using the city as Tado new residence of the King of Popo. About the present whereabouts of these royal pearls officially nothing is known. If the whole is indeed so, but then these red Akoris will not have been the only ones who had brought the ancestors of the Yoruba then.
Production centers and find sites in West Africa
It was in pre-colonial times in South Africa at least two centers in which a secondary industry had developed, which had specialized in the processing of Akori beads: the hinterland of the eastern Gold Coast and the Bight of Benin, although more have existed such production centers likely because Akori beads were also far outside of these areas well known, such as in the realm of the Mani - Congo or in areas of present-day Cameroon. The Akori centers on the Gold Coast were located mainly in the hinterland of Accra, in the historic Kingdom of Akwamu.
Both Romans and Isert report that you have Akori beads found on the Gold Coast in the earth, and indeed frequently confined within up to 60 pieces in one place. However, both authors assume that it is grave goods of ancient tombs from ancient times the things was also the opinion of the then locals.
Another center of a pearl industry had existed in historical times in Ilorin in Nigeria today. In the face of the trans -Saharan trade mainly on cheap imported beads ( glass beads) of European origin is however gone down here this craft.
Probably the most important finding place of Akoris in West Africa is Sé, in the subdistrict of Achiémé in the region, through which runs the present border between Togo and Benin. Another finding place with Akoris is Ouessé in the region around Savé in present-day Benin, in which it is assumed that this is a necropolis of ancient times, from "a few Acorries only" have been found. The same applies to a nearby archaeological site in the same region at Gogoro. Ancient jars, which contained Agries have also been found in Ilé - Tchin and Idigny in the north of Kétou region. Also in 1941 excavations were begun under the direction of Jacques Berthon near the town of Grand - Popo, which revealed Akoris promoted, as well as by P.Thomassey at Soso - Egbe, about 2 km north-west of Comé. In addition, Leo Frobenius had found some fragments around 1910 in the town of Ile- Ife, which were interpreted as a melting pot for preparing these beads, so far as one assumes an inorganic origin of Akori beads.
On the territory of present-day Ivory Coast Maurice Delafosse had pointed out numerous grave sites in 1900, which located on the mountain AFRE - Boka ( other name: Ouoryé - Boka ) at Guiangomenou, about 30 km north of Toumodi, are located. In these grave sites numerous greenish- blue Akori - stones ( pierres d' aigris ) found the time were characterized by Delafosse as Egyptian or Phoenician origin. The mountain was therefore called by the French the "Pearl Mountain" ( Montagne des perles ).
Etymology
With regard to a etymology of the word " Akori " the name could perhaps on the ancient word " Al- Gorr " go back, which means as much as " divine stone." " 'L ' mean in ancient Canaanite consonantal script: " divine " ( cf. Arabic " Allah " ).