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Type: textile

Ethnic Group: Ashanti (Asante)

Country: Ghana

ECU Number: L0126

Description: This Ashanti Kente cloth has multi-colored (yellow, red, blue,green,purple) panels of geometric designs. The national costume of Ghana is kente cloth, woven on narrow strip looms by men. The name means Òwhatever happens to it, it will not tear.Ó The cloths present specific messages in their traditional geometric desgins that refer to an idea, proverb, or historical event. Originally made of raffia and cotton dyed with natural dyes, they later used European silk, and, now, rayon.

Significance researched to date: The Akan Chief in full regalia is a dramatic spectacle. Adorned in kente cloths, gold, wood carvings, and metal castings,he displays the excellence of craftsmanship. Kente cloth is the most outstanding of Ashanti textiles. Made of strips of cloth, each with a striped pattern in bold contrasting colors, which are woven and sewn together, these highly valuable pieces were made for royalty only. A kente cloth is wrapped around the body leaving one shoulder uncovered. Traditionally the privileged possession of the asantehene, the were used by the king and the queen mother as state dress for ceremonies. Now they are used as status symbols by other classes of officials as well as by the wealthy.The word kente is Akan and means Ke-ente, Òwhatever happens to it, it will not tear.Ó The cloth strips are woven on a narrow strip loom by men. Original fibers used were rough raffia and cotton. According to legend, kente weaving was first introduced by Ota Kraban, who got the idea from a spiderÕs web. Original dyes were red ginger and those from the bark of trees, leaves, and roots. Women picked, fluffed, and spun cotton; and men wound yarns, laid the warp and woof, and did the weaving. Strands of fiber from the spider were combined with the cotton. Silk imported from Europe later replaced local fiber and has been more recently replaced by rayon. Kente cloths present a specific message in their designs. Traditional geometric designs have names that refer to an idea, proverb, or historical event. Some traditional names of Kente patterns are Òall the artistic designs are exhausted,Ó ÒGold Dust,Ó ÒSoul cloth of the queen mother of Toku, Ò and ÒThe rainbow.Ó Today kente cloth is the national costume of Ghana and is worn for ceremonies.

Type:	textile
Ethnic Group:	Ashanti (Asante)
Country:	Ghana
ECU Number:	L0126

Description:	This Ashanti Kente cloth has multi-colored (yellow, red, blue,green,purple) panels of geometric designs. The national costume of Ghana is kente cloth, woven on narrow strip looms by men. The name means Òwhatever happens to it, it will not tear.Ó The cloths present specific messages in their traditional geometric desgins that refer to an idea, proverb, or historical event. Originally made of raffia and cotton dyed with natural dyes, they later used European silk, and, now, rayon.
Significance researched to date:	The Akan Chief in full regalia is a dramatic spectacle. Adorned in kente cloths, gold, wood carvings, and metal castings,he displays the excellence of craftsmanship. Kente cloth is the most outstanding of Ashanti textiles. Made of strips of cloth, each with a striped pattern in bold contrasting colors, which are woven and sewn together, these highly valuable pieces were made for royalty only. A kente cloth is wrapped around the body leaving one shoulder uncovered. Traditionally the privileged possession of the asantehene, the were used by the king and the queen mother as state dress for ceremonies. Now they are used as status symbols by other classes of officials as well as by the wealthy.The word kente is Akan and means Ke-ente, Òwhatever happens to it, it will not tear.Ó The cloth strips are woven on a narrow strip loom by men. Original fibers used were rough raffia and cotton. According to legend, kente weaving was first introduced by Ota Kraban, who got the idea from a spiderÕs web. Original dyes were red ginger and those from the bark of trees, leaves, and roots. Women picked, fluffed, and spun cotton; and men wound yarns, laid the warp and woof, and did the weaving. Strands of fiber from the spider were combined with the cotton. Silk imported from Europe later replaced local fiber and has been more recently replaced by rayon. Kente cloths present a specific message in their designs. Traditional geometric designs have names that refer to an idea, proverb, or historical event. Some traditional names of Kente patterns are Òall the artistic designs are exhausted,Ó ÒGold Dust,Ó ÒSoul cloth of the queen mother of Toku, Ò and ÒThe rainbow.Ó Today kente cloth is the national costume of Ghana and is worn for ceremonies.