Guest Writer: Elaine Hirsch: What is Kente Fabric?
In this post, Elaine Hirsch comes back with another enriching essay and this time she shares her knowledge of the kente fabric and its significance in Ghana and elsewhere in the [flat] world. Elaine learned about the kente fabric when she travelled to Ghana. The fabric, as Elaine points out, is commonly used in African and African-American themed celebrations in the United States and throughout the rest of the African Diaspora. I know it features prominently in graduation events such as the Los Rios Community College's Celebration of Excellence for students of African Descent, and conferences such as the California's Umoja Community, and other events that celebrate cultural diversity. Here is Elaine's informative essay:
Kente fabric or cloth is a symbolic textile woven by the Ashante and Ewe people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast. According to Ashante legend, two warriors saw a spider spinning her web, observed her for days, and returned to their village to duplicate her intricate patterns. Kente fabric was the result. Once known as “the cloth of kings,” Kente fabric is now worn by many people but only at events of significance or to make a political statement.
Unlike other more common fabrics, every color used in Kente cloth has meaning, and each of the intricate patterns expresses a sentiment or tells a story. The popularity of the fabric is known worldwide, but the history behind the fabric’s development and its nuanced usage is hardly covered in master’s degree programs in African Studies. This article will take a look at how Kente was historically used and how the fabric is used today.
Ashanti and Ewe Kente Fabric
Although Ashanti is the best-known and most-recognized form of Kente cloth, it is believed that the weaving of Kente actually began with the Ewe people and spread to the Ashanti after the capture of Ewe warriors in the 17th century. The fabrics of both traditions are similarly woven in long strips, five to seven feet long, using a simple loom. The strips are then sown together to create the finished cloth. While both Ewe and Ashante Kente fabrics display bold, colorful and geometric patterns, the cloths woven by the Ewe often incorporate symbolic pictographic elements including plants, animals and birds.
Symbolic Dress
Traditionally woven solely by men, Kente is worn by members of both sexes. Men drape a single piece of cloth over the left shoulder. Women wear Kente in two pieces. Over a simple blouse, a longer piece of fabric is wrapped around the lower body like a skirt and a smaller piece is draped over one arm or wrapped around both shoulders as a shawl or stole. Kente is worn to the most important of family and community functions, such as graduations, weddings, funerals, and festivals. In the United States, Kente is worn for Kwanzaa celebrations, school graduations and other momentous events.
Colors and Patterns
The complex patterns and bright colors of Kente fabric are filled with symbolic meaning. Patterns can represent one of the seven families of the Ashante; a moral, such as “Sika fre Mogya – Money Attracts Blood Relations,” meaning that with success comes responsibility to one’s family; or a personal quality, as in “Akokobataan – Mother Hen,” which signifies the maternal qualities of devotion, selflessness and love. Individual colors hold significant meaning as well. Yellow represents holiness or preciousness. Green denotes good health and vitality. Red stands for blood and strong feelings. Pink denotes peace and gentleness.
Kente fabric is the most popular art form in West Africa. Once reserved for royalty, it is now worn worldwide as a colorful symbol of heritage and pride. Each hand-woven Kente cloth is as unique as its wearer.
Elaine Hirsh, who describes herself as "a kind of a jack-of-all-interests, from education and history to medicine and videogames." She is currently writing about all these things for various education-related websites.
What is Kente Fabric? by Elaine Hirsch
Kente fabric or cloth is a symbolic textile woven by the Ashante and Ewe people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast. According to Ashante legend, two warriors saw a spider spinning her web, observed her for days, and returned to their village to duplicate her intricate patterns. Kente fabric was the result. Once known as “the cloth of kings,” Kente fabric is now worn by many people but only at events of significance or to make a political statement.
Unlike other more common fabrics, every color used in Kente cloth has meaning, and each of the intricate patterns expresses a sentiment or tells a story. The popularity of the fabric is known worldwide, but the history behind the fabric’s development and its nuanced usage is hardly covered in master’s degree programs in African Studies. This article will take a look at how Kente was historically used and how the fabric is used today.
Ashanti and Ewe Kente Fabric
Although Ashanti is the best-known and most-recognized form of Kente cloth, it is believed that the weaving of Kente actually began with the Ewe people and spread to the Ashanti after the capture of Ewe warriors in the 17th century. The fabrics of both traditions are similarly woven in long strips, five to seven feet long, using a simple loom. The strips are then sown together to create the finished cloth. While both Ewe and Ashante Kente fabrics display bold, colorful and geometric patterns, the cloths woven by the Ewe often incorporate symbolic pictographic elements including plants, animals and birds.
Symbolic Dress
Traditionally woven solely by men, Kente is worn by members of both sexes. Men drape a single piece of cloth over the left shoulder. Women wear Kente in two pieces. Over a simple blouse, a longer piece of fabric is wrapped around the lower body like a skirt and a smaller piece is draped over one arm or wrapped around both shoulders as a shawl or stole. Kente is worn to the most important of family and community functions, such as graduations, weddings, funerals, and festivals. In the United States, Kente is worn for Kwanzaa celebrations, school graduations and other momentous events.
Colors and Patterns
The complex patterns and bright colors of Kente fabric are filled with symbolic meaning. Patterns can represent one of the seven families of the Ashante; a moral, such as “Sika fre Mogya – Money Attracts Blood Relations,” meaning that with success comes responsibility to one’s family; or a personal quality, as in “Akokobataan – Mother Hen,” which signifies the maternal qualities of devotion, selflessness and love. Individual colors hold significant meaning as well. Yellow represents holiness or preciousness. Green denotes good health and vitality. Red stands for blood and strong feelings. Pink denotes peace and gentleness.
Kente fabric is the most popular art form in West Africa. Once reserved for royalty, it is now worn worldwide as a colorful symbol of heritage and pride. Each hand-woven Kente cloth is as unique as its wearer.
Elaine Hirsh, who describes herself as "a kind of a jack-of-all-interests, from education and history to medicine and videogames." She is currently writing about all these things for various education-related websites.
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