It is an Akan royal and sacred cloth worn only in times of extreme importance and was the cloth of kings. 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? “This makes me wonder why they chose to wear this particular tribe's garb.”. N’Diyea rejected the idea kente signifies slave traders and stressed how it's become a symbol of pride for African Americans over the last 50 years. 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. There is no certainty about the exact origin of the cloth and its name. 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. “Kente is comparable to an evening gown or tuxedo in Western cultures. Instead of the long and traditional process of Kente cloth production, the African wax fabric is readily available and cheap. Facebook. Yes, the original Kente was black and white and much mundane to people’s dismay. Historical documentation indicates textile production among the Akan and Ewe peoples began as early as 1000 B.C. 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. Kente cloth comes from the Asante, or Ashanti, peoples of Ghana and Ewe peoples of Ghana and Togo. In West Africa, however, this technique was modified for cheaper and easier production, making it availa… Google is great, but it's not a miracle worker. Weaving is one of the oldest art forms in the world, and it's been part of West African cultures for millennia. Legend has it that kente fabric was first made by two friends who went hunting in a forest and found a spider making its web. Suriname gained its independence from the Netherlands in 1975. Tags democrats, politics, nancy pelosi, chuck schumer, kente, africa, ghana, justice in policing act of 2020, @actioncookbook, @erichaywood, steen castillo, @selena_adera, obianuju ekeocha About. Our origins and respecting our past.”. Tutu, who lived from 1660 to 1712 or 1717, unified several small Asante kingdoms to create the Asante empire. You can buy essay online for reading about the significance of Kente designs. According to the BBC, by the end of the 18th century, the region exported an estimated 6,000-7,000 slaves per year. In the days since, social media users have pointed out the cloth’s historical ties to the slave trade in order to criticize the legislators’ garment choice. “That is the significance of the Kente cloth. 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. On June 8, Democratic members of Congress wearing kente cloths and face masks knelt in Emancipation Hall to memorialize Black lives lost to police brutality. 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. However, its importance has remained and it is held in high esteem with Akans. SHOP NOW. 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. Kente is no ordinary cloth and is easily recognisable worldwide. 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. Centuries-Old Anlo/Ewe - Asante Relationship: What exactly is the reason that makes Kente so special? Over time, the use of kente became more widespread. 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. N’Diyea, who did field research with the Maroon people in Suriname, agreed formerly enslaved people that were likely Asante used kente's technique and aesthetic to create Pangi. The Ghanaians use this home-made local dye as the colors produced do not fade away. As one of the prominent symbols of African arts and culture, Kente cloth has been embraced by the broader African diaspora (which means people of … In the United States, kente patterns are popularly worn as graduation stoles by Black students. However, there is still one significant aspect of our lives that has kept traditions alive, and technology has indeed helped in doing so. — called also kente. Today, kente cloth is recognized as the most well-known African textile. The kente cloth designs are powerful cultural symbols that represent history and philosophy. Then the next step from there is the dying process. Incorporates into the modern contemporary fusion that fashion today has become and people not only adorn those clothes with pride but take more interest in even knowing about them. The kente cloth is made in different styles, colors and patterns. 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. 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. Related. It continued to bloom as a symbol of wealth, high social status, and association with culture. History of Kente Cloth. "My members will attest, it's a very long time. Kente cloth has its origin in the Ashanti kingdom, and was adopted by people in Ivory Coast and many other West African countries. 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. Claims about the true origin, meaning and history of kente is now Ghana scarfs knelt... Ashanti kingdom, in what is vital to know is the dying.! 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