Juliana Gharbin, a Ghanaian beader, has been adjudged the Guinness World Record holder for the largest bead sculpture of a bag.
Guinness World Records confirmed the feat on its website, and the record holder is set to unveil her official certificate on Saturday, January 24, at the Ocean Green Beach Resort at Prampram in the Greater Accra Region.
The 33-year-old made the attempt on March 1, 2025, and accomplished the feat in 10 days with the support of the “Jules Beads Team” made up of eight others, including her trainees.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Gharbin said she was inspired by the desire to promote African artistry and put Ghanaian craftsmanship on the global stage.
“Initially, I applied to bead for longer hours and make different designs, but then they rejected it. They said for something like a bead, they would want a sculpture instead of beading for longer hours,” she said.
“When they suggested the sculpture, I said Okay, I would rather do one big bag and that was in September 2023.”
Gharbin disclosed that despite getting the approval in 2023, there were lots of requirements and financial commitments needed to start the “attempt”, hence the delay.
“We started working around it in January 2024. Initially, we had wanted to do it in October 2024, but our plans didn’t go well, so we had to move it to 2025,” she said.
The largest bead sculpture is 2.69 metres (m) x 2.05 m x 1.47 m. It is made with the colours of the national flag: red, yellow, green and black.
The bag features two Adinkra symbols representing important aspects of Ghanaian heritage as the motif. They represent versatility and loyalty.
Gharbin mentioned logistics and financial support as some of the major challenges that nearly affected her attempt.
The beader who started her trade in 2020 said the feat, when well leveraged, could serve as a platform for growing the craft industry and impact the lives of Ghanaians.
“I intend to use this platform to create more opportunities for artisans, collaborate with institutions and then push Ghanaian craftsmanship into the international market through exhibitions and partnerships,” she said.
Gharbin advised Ghanaians to appreciate local artisans and patronise locally made handicrafts.
“To my fellow artisans, for every dream that they set to achieve, it is achievable.”
