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Kente is an Akan word meaning basket, but the Akan also refer to the material as “nwentoma,” meaning woven cloth. Kente is made by weaving cotton thread in a loom. The material is itself a remarkable product of art and engineering as well as a significant part of Ghana’s history and culture. Kente is very expensive cloth and for many centuries it was mainly worn by royalty. The cost is mainly due to the intricate process of weaving, which takes much time and human energy. A strip of Kente cloth (similar to the width and length of a graduation stole sash) could take an entire day’s work by the most skilled craftsman! The way Kente cloth is woven and the types of patterns that are created are both wonders to behold.
Often, stories, ideas, or proverbs are expressed through the Kente cloth.Every color has meaning, so the way they are used in various patterns, sometimes in combination with the Adinkra symbols, work together to express a specific idea, often with multiple layers of meaning. Below are some of the meanings associated with many of the common colors in Kente cloth;
black: maturation, intensified spiritual energy
blue: peacefulness, harmony and love
green: vegetation, planting, harvesting, growth, spiritual renewal
gold: royalty, wealth, high status, glory, spiritual purity
grey: healing and cleansing rituals; associated with ash
maroon: the color of mother earth; associated with healing
pink: assoc. with the female essence of life; a mild, gentle aspect of red
purple: assoc. with feminine aspects of life; usually worn by women
red: political and spiritual moods
silver: serenity, purity, joy; associated with the moon
white: purification, sanctification rites and festive occasions
yellow: preciousness, royalty, wealth, fertility, beaut
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