Recycled Glass Sculptors of Ghana

In a small workshop in the city of Aburi, Ghana, the Quaynor family turns recycled glass bottles into whimsical pieces of sculptural art. A craft form practiced mainly by the Krobo people, glass molding is a centuries old practice in West Africa. Beads are an integral part of Krobo life, and play a role in daily transactions and special initiation ceremonies.

The head of the Quaynor family, Dan, has been working glass for most of his life. Krobo glass workers pass along their knowledge through apprenticeships or to their own children. Dan’s older daughters do much of the glass molding work today.

Most of the glass bottles the Quaynors recycle are salvaged from roadsides or collected from restaurants and hotels in Accra. The color of the bottles used dictates the colors of the finished pieces; green Beck’s bottles, blue Milk of Magnesia bottles and brown Guinness bottles are favored for their rich colors.

In the years since we’ve been working with the Quaynors, the family has become quite prosperous. In 2004, the family was able to purchase a van, which has been extremely useful for collecting glass and for transporting family and community members.