Bright colors, intriguing patterns, beautiful styles…ring a bell? Characterized by these attributes, the African kente cloth is special. Behind an interesting story of origin, the cloth became a national cloth for Ghana, was worn by more presidents than we can count, and is a featured display at the UN, in New York.
African kente styles are some of the finest and most beautiful fashion clothing in the world. Some styles have been featured on the catwalk.
Kente is a cultural cloth made by the Ewes and Ashantis in Ghana, West Africa. The cloth is made through a process called strip weaving. In the process, several small strips are woven after which they are sewn together to form a larger and wider cloth. Kente is woven using a wooden loom. Kente styles are created using the warps, weft, and a shuttle for passing the thread through the warp to create the strips.
Kente has a rich history after it was first discovered in the 17th century. The cloth, like most Ghanaian and African artifacts, has a lot of significance in the lives of the people who wear them. Each kente design has a unique and specific meaning based on the combination of colors, patterns, and the imposed meaning by the weaver or the commissioning party.
Popular Features of Kente
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- 2020: Democrats in the US wore kente as a way to show their dissatisfaction with racial violence against African-Americans. They knelt in front of capitol hill for about 9 minutes in solidarity with George Floyd and his family. George Floyd was an African-American who got killed while police tried to arrest him.
- 2018: American lawmakers wanted to make a statement ahead of President Trump’s state address. They didnt have to design placards to do so. They simply had to wear kente-made stoles to get the message sent. And with a lot of media attention.
- 1998: Decades ago, Bill Clinton and His Wife wore kente during their visit to the capital of Ghana, Accra.
- 1995: Kwasi Asare was commissioned by the UN to weave “Adwen Asa”, a kente style to be displayed at the UN General Assembly in New York.
- 1951: Kwame Nkrumah wore the kente cloth named “Mmeeda” which is translated as “something that has not happened before”. It stands for “Something unprecedented”. Nkrumah was using the kente style to indicate what was yet to come. Commentators say it was an “omen” for what was yet to come. Truly, he would lead Ghana to independence.
Why Kente is Special?
Royalty
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Historically, the kente cloth was a royal cloth. Presently, the royal regalia prominently features kente. Also, chiefs and kings still wear it during almost every major traditional event. The difference is that ordinary people and non-Ghanaians wear it in modern times. They do so for different reasons. However, it was traditionally worn by royalty and for special occasions. Ordinary people were later allowed to wear kente but for only special events and they could not wear the same style as the King to an event.
Kente has become associated with royalty, riches (kings and chiefs held the majority of the riches), and special events.
Its Beautiful Patterns and Attractive Colors
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Kente styles and designs are undisputedly very beautiful. The bright colors, creative patterns, and significance make kente a different kind of fashion element.
It’s not just a Fashion Item
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The use of Kente has expanded beyond what it was used for centuries ago. Even though a lot of its significance has been maintained such as wearing it for important and special events only, kente is more. It has been used for civil rights activism, politics, fashion, sports, and much more.
Kente designs are made with certain meanings through the color, patterns, and the name of the cloth. African prints and Kente have special meanings.
Certain colors are to be worn depending on the occasion.
All of this symbolism, meaning, and effort have made kente very special and also expensive.
Kente is a National Cloth for Ghana
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Talk of special. Kente was adopted as the Ghanaian national cloth by the country’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
Kente is Handwoven
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The process involves the use of a machine called the loom. But the work is highly manual and involves the weaver throughout the process. This demand means only a limited number of cloths can be made over time.
Most Expensive African Kente Designs Ever Made
“Adwene Asa” Meaning “the mind is finished” or “I have exhausted my skills”
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The Asantehene once commissioned a weaver to come with the best kente design. After working hard, the weaver came up with a design he called “Adwene asa” which means “the mind is finished” or “I have exhausted my skills”. This is perhaps the most popular kente design out there. The design was displayed at the UN General Assembly in New York City: woven by master kente weaver Kwasi Asare.
“Nyankonton” Meaning “God’s eye brow (the rainbow).”
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The “Nyankonton” was woven as a form of praise for the rainbow as God’s creation.
“Akyempem” Meaning “thousands shields.”
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The “Akyempem” was designed to symbolize the great military prowess of the Asanti Kingdom. Also, it represents the importance of the spear in military strategy.
“Toku Kra Toma” Meaning “Toku’s soul cloth”
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The “Toku Kra Toma” was traditionally worn by only kings, chiefs, and other high-ranking traditional elders. It was especially used during sacred events involving the veneration or invocation of the ancestors and spirits.
The design was made to honor a warrior queen mother who was executed in battle. The cloth is now worn to appreciate the courage, strategic leadership, heroism, self-sacrifice, and spiritual vitality, and rebirth.
“Emaa Da” “Mmeeda” Meaning
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On February 12, 1951, the would-be President of the Republic of Ghana was released from prison. The use of this particular kente design indicates an omen for what was to come, “Something that has not happened before”.
“Sika Futoro” Meaning “gold dust.”
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“Sika Futoro” shows elegance, spiritual purity, wealth, royalty, and honorable achievement. Gold dust was once the “money” or means of exchange in the Ashanti empire. The color of gold naturally gained such attributes.
“Kyeretwie” Meaning “the lion catcher.”
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During the reign of King Kwaku Dua (1838 -1867), warriors were tested for courage through a test. The warriors were to prove their bravery by capturing a leopard. The names of those who succeeded were titled “Kyerekwie” as an indication of their achievement. The “Kyeretwie” kente design features black vertical warp stripes which symbolize the black sports in a leopard’s fur.
“Wofro Dua Pa A Na Yepia Wo” Meaning “one who climbs a tree worth climbing gets the help deserved.”
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The meaning of the design of the cloth is that, when you follow a worthy path, you will get the support you need to realize the cause.
Why is Kente Expensive?
Kente is expensive for its prestige, the detailed symbolism, and the pride it gives those who wear it. Kente is manually woven: Handwoven. This means only a few can be made at a time. This is aggravated by the fact that only a few towns specialize in weaving it. The Demand and Supply Dynamics are simply in favor of high prices.
Conclusion
There are over 50 kente designs. Telling the designs from each other is extremely difficult if you have no idea of their history and significance. This is because each design is made with specific patterns, colors, and meaning. Kente symbolizes a lot of things and is in high demand. These form some of the reasons why African kente is expensive.
