AKAN KENTE CLOTHS

AKAN CULTURAL SYMBOLS PROJECT
© G. F. Kojo Arthur and Robert Rowe - 1998-2001

AKAN CLOTH     ADINKRA    KENTE    KENTE CLOTH & MOTIFS     WAX & NONWAX PRINTS    ASAFO FLAGS  AKUNINTAM 

Kente strip called Epie akyi 
woven with asanan (four) heddles

         The kente cloth is woven on a narrow horizontal loom. The loom usually uses four heddles (asanan), but in special cases, six or seven heddles (asasia) may be used.

The cloth is woven in narrow strip (called ntomaban or bankuo) that is about 3-5 inches wide and about 5-6 feet long. Several strips are sewn together to make a wider piece of cloth for both men and women. A man's cloth may contain up to 24 strips and measure about 5x8 feet. The woman's two-piece cloth may contain 8-12 strips each piece.

The largest known kente cloth, measuring about 12X20 feet, is the piece Ghana presented to the United Nations in 1960. This cloth is called tikoro nko agyina - one head does constitute a council.

The Asante weaver refers to kente as nwentoma (woven cloth) to distinguish it from the factory-made cloth (ntoma) and the adinkra cloth that is stamped (ntiamu ntoma) by the block-print technique.

The nwentoma is of various categories: ahwepan (plain weave); topreko (plain weave with simple weft inlays); and faprenu (double weave technique that hides the warp threads).

       The warp threads are laid in such fashion to give a name and meaning to the cloth. At the same time, the weft designs or motifs are each given a name and meaning. These names and meanings reflect Akan beliefs, historical events, social and political organization in the Akan society, or may be named after all manner of people.      

The ntomaban (strip) shown to the left is called epie akyi (leopard's back). The strip is made up of weft motifs called nwotoa (snail shell), fa hia kotwere Agyeman (lean your poverty on Agyeman), akyem (shield), babadua, and nkyinkyim (zigzag).

The epie akyi imitates the beautiful patchwork of stripes on the leopard. And, one expression associated with epie akyi is: kurotwamansa to nsuo mu a, ne ho na efo; ne ho nsensanee no de ewo ho daa - the leopard only gets wet when it falls into water; the water does not wash off its stripes.

Epie akyi is also used in military terms to refer to the defensive position of using stockpiles of plantain stalks to stop the cannons of the Europeans.

SOME ASPECTS OF THE KENTE WEAVING PROCESS

An old lady from Agotime Abenyinase, 
Volta Region, Ghana spinning yarn from raw cotton
Locally grown cotton is spun into yarn usually by women. 
Seeds are squeezed out of the harvested cotton bolls; the 
fibers are bowed by plucking a small string bow to loosen 
them, then spun using a weighted spindle. Hand spinning is 
a fast-dying craft in Ghana.

The yarn is then scrubbed with starch and then allowed to 
dry before it is wound onto bobbins. The yarn may be dyed 
in many colors. Besides cotton, silk, lurex, and rayon are used as 
yarn for weaving kente.


Raw cotton before it is spun
  

 
A woman from Agotime 
Abenyinase, Volta Region, 
Ghana using a string bow 
to bow the cotton to 
make it loose for spinning 

Laying the warp threads

A reed (beater - kyereye in Twi) is used 
to beat the weft yarn into a firm cloth                      

Threading or Sleying the Reed (Beater)

A shuttle boat (called kokoruwa) in which
is placed the bobbin (dodowa) around which the weft yarn
is wound.

Kente Cloth Weaving Demonstration by Master Weaver Ekooba Gyasi from Bonwire, Ghana

Master Weaver Ekooba Gyasi of Bonwire, Ghana

A collage of various Akan kente weft motifs

        
The puduo design woven with asasia (six) heddles. 
Notice the twill-like effect (click on the picture to see the detail).

Variety of kente cloths

Click on the picture to see a bigger version

ASANTE AND EWE KENTE FROM GHANA

Traditionally, kente is woven by the Asante and the Ewe. The Asante kente is woven in villages just outside Kumasi in the area around Bonwire, Woonoo, Maape, Adawomase and Ntonso. Kente is also woven by the Ewe in the Volta Region in the Kpandu area to the north; the Agotime area around Kpetoe and, Abenyinase; in the Tongu area around Mafi-Kumasi; and further south in the Anlo and Some areas at Denu, Wheta, Klikor and Agbozume. Even though Asante and Ewe kente may look very similar, there are significant differences, especially in the weft designs and in some technical areas with respect to the weaving process. These days one may find kente weavers in downtown Accra and other parts of the country.

Ewe Kente motif called lisa (chameleon)

Asante kente weft design called kyemfere (potsherd)

KENTE CLOTH

Kente weft design called fahia kotwere Agyeman 
lean your poverty on Agyeman

KENTE CLOTH AS POLITICAL COMMENTARY

The kente, like other Akan artworks, has been used to inscribe forms of political commentary. The largest known kente cloth, measuring about 12X20 feet, is the piece Ghana presented to the United Nations when Ghana joined this world organization. This cloth is called tikoro nko agyina - one head does not constitute a council. This was to state that Ghana was taking its legitimate place in the new world order ushered in by the wave of decolonization that was sweeping through Asia, Africa and other colonized territories. In the 1960s Ghana became a founding member of the Non-Alignment Movement, a third rail to the then two world powers - the Soviet Bloc countries and the West led by the U. S. during the Cold War era.

A popular kente cloth, Fathia Fata Nkrumah (Fathia deserves Nkrumah) - was renamed Obaakofo Mmu man (One man does not rule a nation) as soon as Nkrumah was overthrown in a military coup in 1966.

Kente cloth is worn by people of all social status. In the past certain designs were specifically made to be worn by the royals. In the early 19th century rising economic prosperity made it possible for non-royals to begin to demand for what were worn by the royals. There is one kente cloth called wonya wo ho a, wonye dehyee - you may be rich, but you are not of royal descent. Apparently this was worn by the royals to distinguish themselves from the nascent class of  rich traders.

During his inauguration as President of Ghana in January 2001, Mr. J. A. Kufuor wore a kente cloth called Dako yesere - We will smile one day.

The kente weft design called fahia kotwere Agyeman encodes the rise bureaucracy at the Asante royal court.

A king wearing adwinasa kente

Two young children wearing adwinasa kente

A woman wearing kente cloth

ADWINIASA KENTE CLOTH

ADWINASA KENTE CLOTH

The adwiniasa kente cloth is the most intricate weft design. The cloth length is completely filled with weft floats that hide all the warp threads. The elegance of the cloth lies in the skillful use of several motifs to fill up the cloth length. This level of perfection is associated with the master weaver and the cloth, in the past, was worn by the royalty.

The adwiniasa designs are themselves given names and meanings. Examples include Oyokoman, Obi te obi so, and Mmaa ma.

AKAN CULTURAL SYMBOLS PROJECT    

AKAN CLOTH     ADINKRA    KENTE    KENTE CLOTH & MOTIFS     WAX & NONWAX PRINTS    ASAFO FLAGS  AKUNINTAM 

© G. F. Kojo Arthur and Robert Rowe - 1998-2006

Date last revised:  10/14/2009