kente cloth origin

Some of the more prevalent designs are: The first president of Ghana after independence from Britain in 1957 married an Egyptian woman for unity. 0. Now not only is the fabric spun, weaved and sewn using a machine, but it is also cut to be shaped into accessories like wallets, handbags, and modern halter tops, printed t-shirts, and dresses. Get all your Original Kente for all occasions at Asante-Kente.com. Democrats honor George Floyd with moment of silence. The group then introduced the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, aimed at changing policing after a series of Black individuals killed by police officers led to weeks of protest in the U.S. and overseas. South Ghana is the home of Kente woven cotton and silk cloth, Kente is of Ghanian origin but every African loves this hand woven work of art due to the beautiful colors and neat patterns, Kente fabric doesn’t really scream “hand woven” because of the precision in the weaving process. The Ultimate History Project has pointed to the Pangi cloth woven by the Maroon people of Suriname as evidence of kente’s cultural significance beyond slave traders. Although kente cloth does have ties to slavery, it is more widely recognized as a modern symbol of pride in African American culture and pride in cultural ties to West Africa. N’Diyea stressed that the “tangential” question behind Brandon’s post was “Who owns kente?” She asked whether it was the African world, the government of Ghana, the Asante people, Asante royalty or the weaver. Kente is made in Akan and Ewe lands, in Ghana, from the historic Ashanti Kingdom and Ewe Kingdom, including the towns of Bonwire, Adanwomase, Sakora Wonoo, Agortime,Tsiame, Agbozume and Ntonso in the Kwabre areas of the Ashanti Region and Volta Region. The original Kente was not colorful. The kente fabric is made of inter-woven silk fabric. The new discovery was so fascinating to the nearby villagers just like the spider’s web had been to the brothers, that they shared this story with the then ruler of the Asante Kingdom. Kente is exported as one of the key symbols of African heritage and pride in African ancestry throughout the diaspora. The finished kente cloth with all the strips joined together. WhatsApp. It is an iconic visual representation of the history, philosophy, ethics, oral literature, religious belief, social values, and political thought of West Africa. We won't insult your intelligence by pretending that a random internet writer from America can tell you "the real meaning of Kente cloth" by regurgitating a few researched facts. Kente cloth has been a cloth of royalty. Obviously, Kente cloth doesn't come from Wakanda — Black Panthers do. Nana Tamakloe - November 23, 2014. The answer lies in the fabric itself. The origin of Kente is explained with both a legend and historical accounts. Rep. Karen Bass, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, defended the legislators' use of kente cloth after the June 8 event. Share. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the current King of the Ashanti Kingdom wearing kente Once they returned to Ghana, they started to weave the beautiful and colourful cloth excl… "We were there for eight minutes and 46 seconds on our knees," she told reporters afterward . In the Facebook post, Brandon acknowledges kente cloth’s historical ties to the slave trade; however, he ignores the broader cultural significance the cloth has to West African and African American culture. History states that Kente originated about 400 hundred years back around the 17th century in an accidental encounter when two friends spotted a spider, weaving its web in the forest. It's a very long time.". Facebook. What is vital to know is the meanings that are associated with these colors, and the use of the same in the fabric. — called also kente. KENTE JEWELRY. The beautiful multicoloured scarves worn on graduation day by thousands of African Americans and African students across the United States are actually made of Kente fabric. ... Odo Mfampade3 Special I | Kente Cloth. "During the 1970s through at least the early 2000s kente cloth [became] regarded as a symbol of pride in African American identity and heritage.". All of which is attributed to having symbolic cultural significance for the people of Ghana. A popular legend claims creators of kente cloth … Historians believe the Maroons derived Pangi from kente cloths and their Asante culture. Get all your original kente for all Occasions at Asante-Kente.com. According to NDiaye, the colorful patterned fabrics known as kente can be traced back to the Asante people of the Akan kingdom in what is now Ghana. Tutu named the cloth “kente,” meaning basket, and adopted the fabric as a royal cloth for special occasions. Ashanti folklore includes a story where weavers invented kente by seeking to replicate the patterns of Anansi the spider. This is not the first time members of Congress have worn kente cloth in protest. “It's complicated because there’s a lot of evidence that people from all social groups and classes were enslaved,” N'diyea told USA TODAY. among the Akan and Ewe peoples of Western African in modern-day Ghana and … The Asantehene adopted it as a royal cloth and encouraged its development as a cloth of prestige reserved for special occasions. It has paved the way for many young African fashion designers or fashion designers that take inspiration from historical and cultural norms. Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012. The kente cloth is made in different styles, colors and patterns. Slaves were often acquired as tributes from smaller states or captured during war. The cloth is a symbol of royalty and is featured in festive occasions, such as graduations, throughout Ghana and the African diaspora. "My members will attest, it's a very long time. There are manufacturers across Ghana and China that are replicating the Kente design. Kente cloth is native to the Ewe and Ashanti people of Ghana, with origins dating back to around the 12 th century, but its patterns are still worn and enjoyed all over the world. As you may have understood by now that the modern take on Kente has also made it affordable, so it is no longer reserved just for royalties. Then the next step from there is the dying process. Kente cloth is historically associated with the Asante Empire (also spelled Ashanti), a political state that began in the late 17th century in what is today the West African country of Ghana. Kente definition, a colorful fabric of Ghanaian origin: often worn as a symbol of African American pride: Thousands of vivid shirts made a sea of kente along the parade route.I hadn't realized there was so much kente cloth in all of Manhattan. “My way of thinking about it is that it honors the creativity, the ingenuity, the skill of the people who actually make the kente," she said. Kente cloth is a traditional handwoven fabric that comes from the Akan peoples of Ghana. Below are the Kente Cloth Weave Patterns that you may find on Kente Cloths. Kente cloth, known as nwentom in Akan, is a type of silk and cotton fabric made of interwoven cloth strips and is native to the Akan ethnic group of South Ghana.. Kente cloth has its origin with the Ashanti Kingdom, and was adopted by people in Ivory Coast and many other West African counties. The Kente cloth comes from Ghana and as a rich history and symbolism. Suriname, formerly Dutch Guiana, is a small nation on the northeastern coast of South America. Most weavers are men that use a wooden horizontal loom for separating and guiding the threads to take its unique shape. So you must still be wondering that it is after all just a cultural symbol, something historically relevant for the people of Ghana, so what? “The significance of the Kente cloth is our African heritage, and for those of you without that heritage who are acting in solidarity,” Bass told reporters. SHOP NOW. According to the book, African Textiles, the narrow loom was brought in the Seventeenth Century from Gaymann, a location in present day Ivory Coast. The Asantehene adopted it as a royal cloth and encouraged its development as a cloth of prestige reserved for special occasions. Each design has a specific name and significant meaning that reflects cultural values of … Tutu, who lived from 1660 to 1712 or 1717, unified several small Asante kingdoms to create the Asante empire. It’s hand made wooven process is what makes it rare and expensive. Instead of the long and traditional process of Kente cloth production, the African wax fabric is readily available and cheap. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., read the names of unarmed Black people who’ve recently been killed by police. According to the BBC, by the end of the 18th century, the region exported an estimated 6,000-7,000 slaves per year. Amongst the many different types of raw material available locally, for production of the best export quality of the fabric, Kente uses the following raw material: The usual way by which the villagers have sworn to is hand spinning the thread. Jul 30, 2017 - Recently I did an "Art Around the World" Unit and fell in love with Kente Cloth from Ghana. Kente Cloth Weave Patterns & Meaning. Historical accounts trace the origin of Kente weaving to early weaving traditions in ancient West African Kingdoms that flourished between 300 A.D. and 1600 A.D. The origin of kente is in the Akan empire of Bonoman. The elitist myths of 'savages' and 'white trash' led to today's bigotry. Related. Centuries-Old Anlo/Ewe - Asante Relationship: The Origins of Kente. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus wore kente cloths in September to honor the 400-year anniversary of the first Africans brought to the colonies. Kente (aka Kete) is the most famous and the most celebrated of all the textiles used in Ghana. Many other traditional norms associated with the production of Kente like hand spinning and weaving and not cutting the cloth has also been dropped. But with time as the weavers started producing a range of bright colors to be incorporated and the cloth became more celebratory in its nature, mass production and adoption as a cultural symbol, more and more colors were integrated that can be seen used today. It is a royal and sacred cloth worn only in times of extreme importance and was the cloth of kings. Kente is more than just a piece of cloth. Posted on May 5, 2017 January 19, 2018 Author Kodzo Lloyd. Tutu named the cloth “kente,” meaning basket, and adopted the fabric as a royal cloth for special occasions. Claim: Wearing the Kente cloth “worn by affluent African slave traders” is “like honoring Jews by wearing swastikas.” The country that comes to mind when we are reminded of this bright-colored, woven fabric is none other than Ghana. As production increased and kente cloth was more easily accessible, it became more common across all socioeconomic classes. Given the two possible origin accounts, it seems more plausible that kente cloth originated with the Ewe tribe. One day, they came across a spider spinning a web. Suriname gained its independence from the Netherlands in 1975. He is credited with expanding the Asante throughout most of Ghana and introducing his subjects to the gold and slave trades along the West African coast. Each design is not only different visually but has its own name and significant meaning behind it that reflects its value for the Ghanaian culture. Kente comes from the word kenten, which means "basket" in the Asante dialect of Akan language, referencing its basket-like pattern. Here you can counter those stereotypes with African fractals, Appalachian quilting algorithms and more. The country that comes to mind when we are reminded of this bright-colored, woven fabric is none other than Ghana. Once the weaver has enough number of long, narrow, and unique strips, the strips are then sewn together to make a full-sized clothing piece. It is an Akan royal and sacred cloth worn only in times of extreme importance and was the cloth of kings. “In the 17th century, there were two brothers who came from the village of Bonwire. Kente cloth has its origin in the Ashanti kingdom, and was adopted by people in Ivory Coast and many other West African countries. The spider is known as Anansi, and stands for tricks and wisdom. The Kente cloth comes from Ghana and as a rich history and symbolism. Historical accounts trace the origin of Kente weaving to early weaving traditions in ancient West African Kingdoms that flourished between 300 A.D. and 1600 A.D. Every design has its own meaning. Kente cloth has its origin with the Ashanti Kingdom of Ghana. Kente cloth comes from the Asante, or Ashanti, peoples of Ghana and Ewe peoples of Ghana and Togo. The Asante supplied British and Dutch traders with slaves in exchange for firearms, which they used to expand their empire. Buy Kente Graduation Stoles. It is a product of love and power, and no matter what story is the original one for the creation of Kente, one thing is for sure that the next time you see a spider’s web, you would inevitably be reminded of Kente. This makes it more affordable than the original Kente cloth that is handwoven, whereas the replica is machine printed. When kente is proudly worn or used on ceremonial occasions, it brings honor and prestige to the proceedings,” the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art explains in an online exhibit. Many Boomer parents would argue that their millennial sons and daughters don’t know much about their roots and traditional norms or the past that shaped them. Kente cloth is known as nwentoma (meaning woven cloth) in Akan language, and is a type of silk, cotton, or rayon fabric made of interwoven cloth strips which is native to the Akan/Ashanti ethnic group of Southern Ghana (and also Cote d’Ivoire). It is the art and technique of the weaver’s hands that creates the long strips of fabric that measure up to four inches wide. In the United States, kente patterns are popularly worn as graduation stoles by Black students. History of Kente Cloth. As the villagers who perform the spinning find their hands to be more in tune with the spinning than a spinning cone, they agree that it is easier to control the cloth design. The kente cloth is a hub of vibrant and lively colors. Now Kente can be seen as blankets, bedsheets, pillowcases, and placemats, etc. “When Africans were kidnapped and brought to this country, they were told they didn’t have a history, they didn’t have a tradition,” N’Diyea said. Kente is indigenous to the Asante kingdom, in what is now Ghana. Kente cloth is an art form native to Ghana and, particularly, according to legend, the town of Bonwire. Kente cloth, however, is defined by some very unique weaving techniques. Weaving is one of the oldest art forms in the world, and it's been part of West African cultures for millennia. … Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and other Democratic lawmakers were draped in scarves made from a cloth of colourful geometric Ghanaian designs called kente. Today, kente cloth is recognized as the most well-known African textile. Kente is connected with the Ewe and Ashanti people of Ghana and arose first in West Africa during the 17 th century. Shocking, isn’t it? Although upon the research, you would find several stories that describe the origin of the Kente cloth, yet the recurring theme revolves around the Akan ethnic group from the Ashanti region of Ghana. Majorly known for the infamous Ghanaian Kente Cloth, the country is widely acclaimed. It is an Akan royal and sacred cloth worn only in times of extreme importance and was the cloth of kings. Hidden Meanings. ‘Kenten,’ the Akan word for basket, came to be given the name for the fabric known as Kente due to how it was weaved. It is safe to say that like the ten years that went by, the upcoming ten years will be the game changer in every aspect of our life from lifestyle to travelling and much more. Kente cloth is made of narrow woven strips of about 8 or 9 cm that are sewn together lengthways to form a wider cloth. One day, they came across a spider spinning a web. A legend has it … Over time, the use of kente became more widespread. However, once the trade took off, there was no stopping as to how weavers popularized it. Nancy Pelosi named George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and more before kneeling for a moment of silence that lasted 8 minutes and 46 seconds. My 3rd graders made Kente Cloth and we used this handout to create their pieces! Although you might now know the name, the kente cloth is used globally. My father and half-brothers were born in Ghana, and my family has shaped my understanding of kente cloth. Historical documentation indicates textile production among the Akan and Ewe peoples began as early as 1000 B.C. It is an iconic visualization of history, philosophy, ethics, religion, and social values. SHOP NOW. The origin of Kente cloth is explained partly with a legend and partly with historical account, coming from two important towns in Asante Region of Ghana, namely Bonwire and Adawomase. Working around to create intricate geometric designs as the weaver continues to weave – the cloth becomes unique with every piece. Suriname's Maroon people are the descendants of escaped African slaves. In contrast, the alternate synthetic dyes from China or Japan do fade away, reducing the quality of the fabric. Kente Cloth Origins. Kente cloth designs vary, with the different designs, colors, and patterns each having their own special meanings and stories. Kente is a local cloth made in Ghana by weaving strips of cotton and silk. Kente cloth designs vary, with the different designs, colors, and patterns each having their own special meanings and stories. Folklore Behind the Origin of the Kente Cloth. So the Ashanti legend lore goes as: “In the 17th century, there were two brothers who came from the village of Bonwire. The Ashanti were also known as slave owners and traders. Kente is a brightly colored, banded material and is the most widely known cloth produced in Africa. Over time, the use of kente became more widespread. Buy Kente Graduation Stoles. Hence, it is safe to say that Kente is not only unique for its design but for both weaving and sewing as well as colors. There are 20 designs featured here and each design's meaning is included as well. Kente cloth comes from the Asante, or Ashanti, peoples of Ghana and Ewe peoples of Ghana and Togo. The tradition is to get this cloth woven for your lady love and leave it at her door as a nonverbal message of expressing your love and proposition for marriage. Twitter. Below given is a comprehensive list of some of the most commonly used colors in kente fabric. Meaning of the word Kente. Although kente cloth is now identified with the Akan people in West Africa, and particularly the Asante Kingdom, the term originates with the neighboring Fante people. The method of producing kente, called strip weaving, has existed in West Africa since the 11th century. The Ghanaians use this home-made local dye as the colors produced do not fade away. Google is great, but it's not a miracle worker. From Native beadwork to urban graffiti, students can find the 'heritage algorithms' of their interest, learn their connection to STEM principles, and develop designs of their own creation. Huh?” Dave Brandon posted on Facebook June 9. Fashion is one such industry that stems from the past. This type of cloth is made particularly by two ethnic groups (a tribe of people who trace their ancestry to one particular place of origin from the past and personality) which are the Ashanti and Ewe kingdoms. Kente cloth comes from the Asante, or Ashanti, peoples of Ghana and Ewe peoples of Ghana and Togo. the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art explains, wore kente cloth to the State of the Union address, honor the 400-year anniversary of the first Africans brought to the colonies, USA TODAY, "Democrats unveil sweeping police reform bill, honor George Floyd with 8 minutes, 46 seconds of silence", Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, "Wrapped in Pride", Khan Academy, "Kente cloth (Asante and Ewe peoples)", PBS, "The Slave Kingdoms, Wonders: Ashanti Kingdom", Ultimate History Project, "Kente: Not just any Old Cloth", The Central Intelligence Agency, "The World Factbook: Suriname", The Today Show, "Democrats criticized for wearing Kente cloth stoles in honor of George Floyd", USA TODAY, "State of the Union: Black lawmakers wear kente cloth to protest Trump's vulgar comment on Africa", USA TODAY, "John Lewis, Karen Bass, Nancy Pelosi remember 1619 anniversary, cost of slavery during Capitol ceremony", Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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