Kente cloths have made their way into modern Afrocentric fashion. Kente is a term from Ashanti dialect that loosely translates to basket cloth, and is also referred to as nwentoma (“woven cloth”) by the Akan ethnic group. Its size, design and styling vary depending on the wearer’s sex, age, marital status, and social status. For instance, women may wear either one large piece or a combination of two or three pieces of varying sizes ranging from 5-12 strips.
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Kente was exclusively created for the kings of Ashanti.
Initially a sacred and royal silk-fabric attire only worn on special occasions in the Ashanti Kingdom of Ghana, the quality of the fabric indicated the rank of the person, with the best quality being reserved for the kings.
The weaving was predominantly done by men. In Ghana, the most known center for Kente weaving is Kumasi; with other towns being Bonwire, Sakora Wonoo, Ntonso, Safo and Adanwomase.
Today, Kente cloth is more available and affordable worldwide. The modern version is made from cotton, wax fabric and rayon rather than silk; and instead of the weaving, Ankara manufacturers print the patterns on these fabrics. This, however, has not affected the cloth’s traditional value. Kente is still used for royal functions and is also found in Ashanti shrines to the deities (abosom) as a mark of their spiritual power.
Kente cloth is woven on ancient wooden looms that operated using hands and feet. A shuttle, plus a needle placed between the toes, is used to entwine dyed yarns over one another to produce strips of cloth with elaborate patterns that arise from the application of different weaving techniques. These are then sewn together to make customized sizes. Each woven cloth is identified by the warp (horizontal) threads, depending on their colors and the patterns they produce.
However much aesthetic appeal these geometric and very colorful prints may have, they are more than just that. Each aspect of the design is intended to communicate something. The prints’ identities are usually either philosophical, socio-political, historical, personal or divine references. An example is Adwene asa, which is translated as ‘my skills are exhausted’. It is the most reputable and expensive of all the Kente patterns (an approximate of fifty different ones). Fathia Fata Nkrumah on the other hand was created for Ghana’s first president and his wife as a garment of honor. Another common pattern, woforo dua pa a na yepia wo (in Twi), is a proverbial one that translates to “when you climb a good tree you are given the push you need.” This assures one of their community’s support when they take up a worthy cause.
Originally, kente cloth was black and white (from raffia tree’s black and white fibers). Dyes were however developed from different plants and a range of colors evolved. Blue was obtained from the indigo plant, red from dried cam wood, brown from Indian tamarind, and green from boiled spinach leaves. This development was used by weavers for a wider range of artistic expression. Each color was assigned a certain feeling or event.
Some of the most prominent colors are gold, symbolizing royalty and wealth; yellow to represent beauty and fertility; green for spiritual renewal and vegetation; blue for harmony; red for political passion and bloodshed; black to represent maturation or death and one’s union with their ancestors; white to symbolize purity and festiveness; and maroon to represent mother earth and healing.
The motifs on the fabric are also symbolic: the elephant signifies kingship, and the scorpion bitterness.
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