Chevron Bead House Site P1010209
The Chevron Bead House Project, A beautification project
June 1, 2008 MBAD/ABA African Bead Museum Community began creating “The Chevron Bead House”. The project developed as follows: Virgil Patton suggested that we remove the steps and secure the building. Curtis Bundles, project manger and he help paint the sign, Efe Bes provided drumming and helps with other things and Andre helped everyday with physical labor. Michelle, Genevieve and Kahlil constructed the path, helps paint the sign and provided other assistance. Felicia is director of the garden program and she also worked with the construction of the pathway. Mutope played a major role, in that he helped with painting and many other things.
The Chevron Bead house symbolizes the energy, power, philosophy etc. that Africans had invested in the use of iron, mirrors and wood for protecting the people, the community and keeping the land fertile. The house has hundreds of pieces of mirrors, rusting iron, paint on rusting iron and old decaying wood that changes with the weather. If the sun is bright, the house is bright. If the weather is cloudy, the house is cloudy.
If the wind is blowing the Chevron Bead House makes sounds. If sun rays are beaming the Bead House radiates heat. The Bead House is constantly changing: the iron is rusting, and the paint is fading. The Bead House lives because it reflects the environment it’s in. The small pieces of mirrors make the Bead House appear to have some kind of electric device attached to it and at night the light show begins.
Chevron We painted on the Bead House different views of one of the oldest and most collected beads known to collectors. The chevron bead has been mistakenly identified as one invented by the Venetian people, but it was illustrated on the wall of ancient Egypt years before. We painted the Symbol for Nyama; the dot inside of a circle representing the sun upon which Nyama laid her egg and gave birth to the universe. We painted the Ancestor symbol (a dot) on the house to remind us of those who came before us. The dot is the symbol for our ancestors. We painted the Spiro symbol to represent the idea everything in the universe is connected and we included the symbol of Nsoroma that my ancestors used to remind us of our children.
The Mirror Mirrors were used throughout Africa as a tool to communicate with Nyama, for all kinds of reasons.
Traditionally any pieces of mirrors can be used for protection agencies someone trying to do harm. The mirror is and was used though out Africa as a tool to communicate with the ancestors, for all kinds of reason. It was used in the N’kisi Sculptures eyes and to cover the medicine that was place in the cavity of the navel. The mirror over the navel has many possible interpretations. It may scare a way or capture Nyama. It may represent a passage way to the Nyama’s world.
The, magician or healer would also have looked in the mirror to find the image of Nyama. The mirrors were used collectively to protect the community, and attack bad intentions .The mirror over the navel has many possible interpretations, it may represent a passage way to the world of ancestor. The, magician or healer would also have looked in the mirror to find the image of the Nyama. The mirrors were used collectively to protect the community, and attack bad intentions.
Dabls MBAD/ABA African Bead Museum © By DABLS 2008
Chevron Bead House Site P1010209
The Chevron Bead House Project, A beautification project
June 1, 2008 MBAD/ABA African Bead Museum Community began creating “The Chevron Bead House”. The project developed as follows: Virgil Patton suggested that we remove the steps and secure the building. Curtis Bundles, project manger and he help paint the sign, Efe Bes provided drumming and helps with other things and Andre helped everyday with physical labor. Michelle, Genevieve and Kahlil constructed the path, helps paint the sign and provided other assistance. Felicia is director of the garden program and she also worked with the construction of the pathway. Mutope played a major role, in that he helped with painting and many other things.
The Chevron Bead house symbolizes the energy, power, philosophy etc. that Africans had invested in the use of iron, mirrors and wood for protecting the people, the community and keeping the land fertile. The house has hundreds of pieces of mirrors, rusting iron, paint on rusting iron and old decaying wood that changes with the weather. If the sun is bright, the house is bright. If the weather is cloudy, the house is cloudy.
If the wind is blowing the Chevron Bead House makes sounds. If sun rays are beaming the Bead House radiates heat. The Bead House is constantly changing: the iron is rusting, and the paint is fading. The Bead House lives because it reflects the environment it’s in. The small pieces of mirrors make the Bead House appear to have some kind of electric device attached to it and at night the light show begins.
Chevron We painted on the Bead House different views of one of the oldest and most collected beads known to collectors. The chevron bead has been mistakenly identified as one invented by the Venetian people, but it was illustrated on the wall of ancient Egypt years before. We painted the Symbol for Nyama; the dot inside of a circle representing the sun upon which Nyama laid her egg and gave birth to the universe. We painted the Ancestor symbol (a dot) on the house to remind us of those who came before us. The dot is the symbol for our ancestors. We painted the Spiro symbol to represent the idea everything in the universe is connected and we included the symbol of Nsoroma that my ancestors used to remind us of our children.
The Mirror Mirrors were used throughout Africa as a tool to communicate with Nyama, for all kinds of reasons.
Traditionally any pieces of mirrors can be used for protection agencies someone trying to do harm. The mirror is and was used though out Africa as a tool to communicate with the ancestors, for all kinds of reason. It was used in the N’kisi Sculptures eyes and to cover the medicine that was place in the cavity of the navel. The mirror over the navel has many possible interpretations. It may scare a way or capture Nyama. It may represent a passage way to the Nyama’s world.
The, magician or healer would also have looked in the mirror to find the image of Nyama. The mirrors were used collectively to protect the community, and attack bad intentions .The mirror over the navel has many possible interpretations, it may represent a passage way to the world of ancestor. The, magician or healer would also have looked in the mirror to find the image of the Nyama. The mirrors were used collectively to protect the community, and attack bad intentions.
Dabls MBAD/ABA African Bead Museum © By DABLS 2008