Kente cloth
| Subclass of | woven fabric  |
|---|---|
| Ein location | Ashanti Region |
| Made from material | silk, cotton, rayon |
| Fabrication method | stripweave |
| Intangible cultural heritage status | National Register – Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ghana, Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity |
| Has pattern | geometric pattern |
Kente be Ghanaian textile wey dem take dema hand-woven strips do from silk den cotton.[1] Historically na dem dey wear de fabric insyd a toga-like fashion among de Asante, Akan den Ewe people. According to Asante oral tradition, e originate from Bonwire insyd de Ashanti Region of Ghana. Insyd modern day Ghana, de wearing of kente cloth cam turn widespread to commemorate special occasions, wey kente brands lead by master weavers dey high for demand.
As de kente cam make popular[2] cloth patterns, production of mass-produced prints wey get kente patterns cam make popular for West Africa, den for whole of Africa. Globally, Dem dey use de design print for academic stoles for graduation ceremonies.[3]
Etymology
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Kente dey cam from de work Kenten for Asante dialect insyd Akan language mean "basket". As dis dey like basket-like pattern. For Ghana insyd, de Akan ethnic dey refer to Kente as nwentoma, wey dey mean "woven cloth". Ashanti folklore get story wey dey talk say weavers invent Kente as dem see Anansi de spider do ein patterns.[4]
Symbolic meanings of de colors
[edit | edit source]- Black: maturation, intensified spiritual energy, spirits of ancestors, passing rites, mourning, den funerals
- Blue: peacefulness, harmony, den love
- Green: vegetation, planting, harvesting, growth, spiritual renewal
- Gold: royalty, wealth, high status, glory, spiritual purity
- Grey: healing den cleansing rituals; dem associate am plus ash
- Maroon: de color of mother earth; dem associate am plus healing
- Pink: dem associate am plus de female essence of life; a mild, gentle aspect of red
- Purple: dem associate am plus feminine aspects of life; usually women dey wear am
- Red: political den spiritual moods; bloodshed; sacrificial rites den death.
- Silver: serenity, purity, joy; dem associate am plus de moon
- White: purification, sanctification rites den festive occasions
- Yellow: preciousness, royalty, wealth, fertility, beauty
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References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ Anquandah, James; Kankpeyeng, Benjamin (2014). Current Perspectives in the Archaeology of Ghana. African Books Collective. ISBN 978-9988-8602-6-4.
- ↑ "Letter from Africa: Kente - the Ghanaian cloth that's on the catwalk". BBC News. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ↑ Boateng, Boatema (2011). The copyright thing doesn't work here: Adinkra and Kente cloth and intellectual property in Ghana. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-7679-8. OCLC 741751637.
- ↑ Konadu, Kwasi (2007). Indigenous medicine and knowledge in African society. Routledge. pp. 30–31. ISBN 9780203941393.
- ↑ Kente Cloth Archived 6 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine. "African Journey". projectexploration.org. 25 September 2007.
Bibliography
- Boateng Boatema (2011). The Copyright Thing Doesn't Work Here: Adinkra and Kente Cloth and Intellectual Property in Ghana. U of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-7002-4.
- Colleen E. Kriger (2006). Cloth in West African History. Rowman Altamira. ISBN 978-0-7591-0422-8.
External links
[edit | edit source]Wikimedia Commons get media wey relate to Kente.