Kente refers to a textile made of hand-woven strips of silk and cotton.
Due to the popularity of kente
Etymology
Kente comes from the word
kɛntɛn, which means "basket" in the
Asante dialect of the
Akan language, referencing its basket-like pattern. In Ghana, the Akan ethnic group also refers to kente as
nwentoma, meaning "woven cloth". Ashanti folklore includes a story where weavers invented kente by seeking to replicate the patterns of
Anansi the spider.
History
West African cultures have been weaving textiles for thousands of years.
Archaeological evidence for the oldest form of handloom weaving in Southern Ghana has been discovered at
Begho and
Bono Manso.
and
dye holes discovered in these sites have been dated to the 14th–18th centuries.
At
Wenchi, spindle whorls have been dated to the 16th–17th centuries.
Asante people oral tradition give the origins of Kente to an individual from Bonwire who introduced a loom among the Asante from Bono Gyaman during the reign of Nana Oti Akenten in the 17th century.
By the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Kente made out of silk was fully developed in Ashanti.
In December 2024, Kente cloth was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible cultural heritage.
Production
Kente production can be classified by three versions: authentic kente cloth made by traditional weavers, kente print produced by brands such as
Vlisco and Akosombo Textile Ltd, and mass-produced kente pattern typically produced in China for West Africans. Authentic kente cloth is the most expensive, while kente print varies in price depending on the production style.
For authentic kente, the towns of Bonwire, Sakora Wonoo, Ntonso, Safo and Adawomase are noted for kente weaving, and are located in the Ashanti region.
Tools Used in Kente Weaving
Weaving is done on a wooden loom in which multiple threads of dyed fabric are pressed together. Weavers are typically
under a master weaver or company for a number of years before producing their own patterns. Rolls of cloth are then imprinted with a brand to signify authenticity.
Gender has an influence on cloth production. Weaving kente is traditionally considered a male practice.
Characteristics
There exist hundreds of different kinds of kente patterns.
Kente patterns vary in complexity, with each pattern having a name or message by the weaver. Ghanaians choose kente cloths as much for their names as their colors and patterns. Although the cloths are identified primarily by the patterns found in the lengthwise (warp) threads, there is often little correlation between appearance and name. Names are derived from several sources, including proverbs, historical events, important chiefs, queen mothers, and plants. The cloth symbolizes high value.
Ahwepan refers to a simple design of warp stripes, created using
plain weave and a single pair of
heddles. The designs and motifs in kente cloth are traditionally abstract, but some weavers also include words, numbers and symbols in their work.
Example messages include
adweneasa, which translates as 'I've exhausted my skills', is a highly decorated type of kente with weft-based patterns woven into every available block of plain weave. Because of the intricate patterns,
adweneasa cloth requires three heddles to weave.
Symbolic meanings of the colors
[ Kente Cloth . "African Journey". projectexploration.org. 25 September 2007.]
-
Black: maturation, intensified spiritual energy, spirits of ancestors, passing rites, mourning, and funerals
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Blue: peacefulness, harmony, and love
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Green: vegetation, planting, harvesting, growth, spiritual renewal
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Gold: royalty, wealth, high status, glory, spiritual purity
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Grey: healing and cleansing rituals; associated with ash
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Maroon: the color of mother earth; associated with healing
-
, Ashanti Empire, 1819]]Pink: associated with the female essence of life; a mild, gentle aspect of red
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Purple: associated with feminine aspects of life; usually worn by women
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Red: political and spiritual moods; bloodshed; sacrificial rites and death.
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Silver: serenity, purity, joy; associated with the moon
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White: purification, sanctification rites and festive occasions
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Yellow: preciousness, royalty, wealth, fertility, beauty
Stoles
Today, there is a still a wide use of Kente cloth in events such as ceremonies and commencements. Many universities, such as Florida A&M University, wear an
Academic stole. This historically black institution incorporates historically accurate
African art through the use of Kente cloth stoles. Traditionally, wearing a Kente cloth stole was a "college ritual of marking oneself with a visible sign of Africa"
and "literally weaves ... wisdom of Africa"
and incorporates the history and culture of African art. When students wear a Kente stole as a sign of success during their commencement ceremony, it will "transform their bodies into living, breathing proverbs."
Controversy
In June 2020, Democratic Party leaders kneeled in the United States Capitol Visitor Center for 8 minutes and 42 seconds in protest, causing controversy by wearing stoles made of kente cloth to show support against systemic racism.
While it was said to be an act of unity with African-Americans, many, including Jade Bentil, a Ghanaian-Nigerian researcher, voiced objection tweeting "My ancestors did not invent Kente cloth for them to be worn by publicity (obsessed) politicians as 'activism' in 2020". On the other hand Congressional Black Caucus chair
Karen Bass said, at a news conference for the introduction of the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, that the non-black lawmakers were showing solidarity, and
April Reign, who is credited with initiating the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag,
while not a fan of the symbolism, suggested that the legislation's fate is more relevant than the event in the Capitol's Emancipation Hall.
There is also a controversy with Louis Vuitton's usage of a printed and monogrammed version of kente in their autumn-winter 2021 collection by American creative director Virgil Abloh, whose grandmother was Ghanaian. Additionally, questions of ownership of the woven craft, its image, and location of ateliers of production of kente. To this question of cultural appropriation, Abloh's response to the press in 2020 was: "Provenance is reality; ownership is a myth. In the same way, we cannot control our inspirations, we cannot trade-mark natural or cultural heritage as contemporary artistic territory." This coincided with the first appearance of this design of kente cloth printed on a dress worn by American poet Amanda Gorman for the cover of Vogue's May 2021 issue.
Bibliography
External links
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