DEVELOPMENT OF THE ART OF GLASSBLOWING IN GHANA: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES OF SELECTED GLASSBLOWING UNITS BY HOLMAN KWEKU MENSAH (B.A) INDUSTRIAL ART, CERAMICS A thesis submitted to the school of graduate studies, KNUST in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Philosophy in African Art and Culture Faculty of Fine Art, College of Art and Social Sciences. September, 2009 © 2009 Department of General Art Studies DECLARATION I hereby declare that this thesis is my own work towards the MPhil degree and that, to the best of my knowledge, it contains no material previously published by another person or material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree of the University, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text. HOLMAN KWEKU MENSAH (20065064)................................. ............................ Student Name & ID Signature Date Certified by: DR. E.C. NYARKOH ........................................... ................................... Supervisor’s Name Signature Date Certified by: DR. JOE ADU-AGYEM ....................................... ......................................... Heads of Department (Name) Signature Date ii ABSTRACT The objectives of this study are to identify the existing operational glassblowing units in the country; to investigate and document their tools, materials, equipment and methods which are used by these glassblowing units; assess their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the glassblowing units. The multiple case study approach was adapted for the study. The target population was 175. The accessible population was 153. The purposive sampling method was used to sample 153 respondents which constituted 87.4% of the targeted population. Questionnaire, interview schedule and observation guide were the main instruments used. The study identified only three operational glassblowing units in the entire country namely, Glassblowing Unit - Industrial Research Division (CSIR) Accra; Glassblowing Unit - University of Cape Coast (UCC) Cape Coast and Glassblowing Unit - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kumasi. The tools, materials and equipment used by the glassblowing units are of standardised quality however, the purchase of annealing oven and calibration machines would be an added advantage. The evaluation of the units revealed the strengths of the units as; good infrastructure, competent personnel, quality products and services, among others. The weaknesses exposed included; low publicity, low patronage, poor aesthetic finishing, etc. The opportunities also included; the abundance of local raw materials for glass blowing, total monopoly enjoyed by the glass industry in Ghana, the potential to diversify the glass industry in the country by introducing glass etching, glass incising, etc into their production techniques. Threats identified were aging personnel, high cost of training personnel, unfavourable institutional administrative iii impart and lack of awareness about the prospects of glass blowing in the country. It was concluded that the units have some enviable strengths that has to be consolidated and improved by taking advantage of latent potentials and resources. Equally the units have weaknesses if not addressed could lead to the units being totally extinct in the country. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Prior to the undertaking of this research work and even during the period of conducting this research, I have sought and secured the ready, unselfish assistance of many individuals and organisations, some of whom have been already acknowledged in the text. It is impracticable to name every single individual who through diverse ways has made this research a reality. I am deeply indebted to all of you. I am however, grateful to the Almighty God for preserving my dear life to live to see this day. I feel obliged to name a number of individuals who is no small ways have contributed to this success story. I especially want to mention Dr. E.C. Nyarkoh my supervisor for his patience and forbearance. To Dr. Stephen Abvenorgbo for proof reading this thesis and making invaluable contribution to my work. Words would not permit me to express my deepest appreciation to Miss. Eunice KanKam-Dwumfour for her support and timely encouragement. To my parent and siblings who never lost faith in me. To Miss Akua Dufie Wiafe, Mr. J.K. Prah, Mr. Amo-Mensah, Mr Amoahful, Mr. J.B Anane, Mr. Nab Kakora, all heads of glassblowing units consulted and all individuals who aided me in various ways I say God richly bless you all. Any weaknesses in the work are, however, solely mine. July, 2009 K.M.H v TABLE OF CONTENTS Content Page Declaration ii Abstract iii Acknowledgements iv Table of Contents vi List of Tables ix List of Figures x List of Plates xi CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1 Background to the Study 1 Statement of the problem 4 Objectives of the study 6 Hypothesis 6 Importance of the Study 6 Delimitation 6 Limitations 7 Definition of Terms 7 Abbreviations 8 Organisation of the Chapters 8 TWO REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 9 Overview 9 Development of the Art of Glass Blowing 9 vi History of Glass Blowing 13 Glass and the Ceramic Industry 15 Development of the Studio-Glass Movement 17 Glass Art 19 Principles of Glass Blowing 21 Glass Ceramics 27 Prospects and Challenges of Glass Blowing Operations 29 Aesthetics of Glass Blowing/Decoration/Finishing of 31 Glassware Marketing 35 Raw Materials Exploration and Development 36 Recycling 39 Health Implications of Glass Blowing 41 THREE METHODOLOGY 45 Research design 45 Population of the study 46 Sample and Sampling Procedure 47 Instrumentation for Data Collection 50 Reliability and Validity of Instruments 53 Data Collection Procedure 53 Data Analysis Plan 54 FOUR PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 55 Overview 55 Demographics Result 55 vii Identification of Operational Glassblowing Units 57 Brief Overview about the Operations of Glassblowing Units 58 Evaluation of Units 62 Investigation and Documentation of Tools, Materials, 84 Equipment and Basic Techniques in Glass Blowing Test of Hypothesis 107 Restated Hypothesis 109 Summary 109 FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND 111 RECOMMENDATIONS Summary 111 Conclusions 112 Recommendations 114 REFERENCES 117 APPENDICES AppendixA Appendix B Appendix C viii LIST OF TABLES Table Page Table 2.1 Raw Materials for Glass Production 36 Table 3.1 Population of Glass Blowing Practitioners and 48 Patronisers in U.C.C (Cape Coast Metropolis) Table 3.2 Population of Glass Blowing Practitioners and Patronisers in 49 C.S.I.R (Accra) Table 3.3 Population of Glass Blowing Practit ioners and 49 Patronisers in KNUST (Kumasi) Table 4.1 A Table Showing the Years o f Association with G.B.U 56 Table 4.2 The Decline State of Glassblowing Units 107 Table 4.3 Cause of Decline 108 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page Figure 4.1 Professional Status of Res pondents 56 Figure 4.3 Ratings by Respondents on State o f Infrastructure 64 Figure 4.4a NHIS Status 65 Figure 4.4b Disease Prevalent in Glass Blowing 65 Figure 4.5 Rating of GBU on Customer Care a nd Service Delivery 66 Figure 4.6 Ranking of Publicity o f GBU a mong t he General Public 67 Figure 4.7 Respondents’ Assessment of Major Cause of Decline in GBU 83 x LIST OF PLATES Plate Page Plate: 4.1a Outside view G.B.U, KUNST 59 Plate: 4.1b Inside view G.B.U, KNUST 59 Plate: 4.2a Outside view G.B.U, UCC 60 Plate: 4.2b Inside view G.B.U, UCC 60 Plate: 4.3a The Building housing GBU,CSRI 61 Plate: 4.3b Inside view GBU, CSRI 61 Plate: 4.4 Display of some products and services rendered by GBU 63 Plate: 4.5a First aid box GBU, UCC 65 Plate: 4.5b Participants in their lab coats 65 Plate: 4.6 Calibration Machine Industrial research Division-C.S.R.I 68 Plate: 4.7a Recycled glass installation 73 Plate: 4.7b Recycled glass terrazzo floors 73 Plate: 4.8a Painting with NaF Mixed with F2O 75 Plate: 4.8b Annealing oven ready to receive the etched work 75 Plate: 4.8c Finished etched piece 75 Plate: 4.9 A picture of an acid etched glass (Plunging) 76 Plate: 4.10 Glass incised products 77 Plate:4.11a Glass cutter (CSIR) 78 Plate:4.11b Geometric decorative piece (glass cutting side view) 78 Plate:4.11c Geometric decorative (glass cutting 3/4 view) 78 Plate:4.12a Light up a bench burner 79 Plate:4.12b Rotate the glass tube and draw one end 79 xi Plate:4.12c Concentrate and rotate the flame along a particular path on the 79 glass tube to indent it Plate:4.12d Leave a gap between the indentation and heat the glass tube 79 Plate:4.13a Continue to rotate till the glass reaches it working temperature 80 Plate:4.13b Pull the tube away from the fire and draw 80 Plate:4.13c Rotate the glass and use a flaring tool to open up 80 the opening of the tube Plate:4.13d Intensify the heat and finish the base 80 Plate:4.14a Join the two sections and seal the seams with the flames 81 Plate:4.14b Pull it out of the fire and check for alignment 81 Plate:4.14c The piece after annealing 81 Plate:4.14d Decorative piece (Bird) 81 Plate:4.15a Assorted Didymium Lens 84 Plate:4.15b Surface-mix bench burner 85 Plate:4.15c Pre-mix bench burner 85 Plate:4.16a Graphite rods and shapers 85 Plate:4.16b Carbon Shapers 85 Plate:4.17a A display of some graphite flaring tools 86 Plate:4.17b Metal inside and outside callipers 86 Plate:4.18a Tungsten carbide knife 87 Plate:4.18b Gas Lighter 87 Plate:4.19a In the picture are two different kinds of turn tables 87 Plate:4.19b Flask holder 87 Plate:4.20a Assorted glass tubes 88 xii Plate:4.20b Soda-lime glass rods 88 Plate:4.20c Gas Cylinder (LPG 89 Plate:4.20d Oxygen Cylinder 89 Plate: 4.