BEADS: Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers Volume 28 Article 4 2016 Imitation Amber Beads of Phenolic Resin from the African Trade Rosanna Falabella Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/beads Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons, History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons, Science and Technology Studies Commons, and the Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons Repository Citation Falabella, Rosanna (2016). "Imitation Amber Beads of Phenolic Resin from the African Trade." BEADS: Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers 28: 3-15. Available at: https://surface.syr.edu/beads/vol28/ iss1/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in BEADS: Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers by an authorized editor of SURFACE. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. BEADS Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers 2016 Vol. 28 IMITATION AMBER BEADS OF PHENOLIC RESIN FROM THE AFRICAN TRADE Rosanna Falabella Examination of contemporary beads with African provenance reveals large quantities of imitation amber beads made of phenol- formaldehyde thermosetting resins (PFs). This article delves into the early industrial history of PFs and their use in the production of imitation amber and bead materials. Attempts to discover actual sources that manufactured imitation amber beads for export to Africa and the time frame have not been very fruitful. While evidence exists that PFs were widely used as amber substitutes within Europe, only a few post-WWII references explicitly report the export of imitation amber PF beads to Africa. However they arrived in Africa, the durability of PF beads gave African beadworkers aesthetic freedom not only to rework the original beads into a variety of shapes and sizes, and impart decorative elements, but also to apply heat treatment to modify colors.