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Kente is a colourful cloth which has been hand-woven
for hundreds of years in the villages of Ghana. The artisans
invest each garment with meaning, depending on the complex
pattern and colour scheme they use. Over time kente cloth
has come to represent the very fabric of African culture -
it's history, culture, political identity, religious beliefs
and principals of social etiquette.
Originally, kente cloth was the preserve of royalty and was
worn only at joyous social or ceremonial functions. These
days both hand-woven and printed kente cloth is more widely
available to ordinary folk and has been adopted as the Ghanaian
national dress. Even in the United States kente cloth is more
than just fashion: it's worn by African Americans as a statement
of pride in their motherland.
Master Craftsmen
According to local legend, kente cloth was invented several
hundred years ago. Two young men from the town of Bonwire,
now the epicentre of kente production, set out on a hunting
expedition and came across a spider busily spinning her web.
They were so awe-struck the arachnid's craft that they watched
her for some time and eventually learnt the art of weaving
for themselves. Since then, weaving techniques have been passed
down through generations of Ghanaians and the production of
cloth is very much a family business. Traditionally the men
do the weaving, and the women spin the cotton, dye the yarn,
sew the strips together and sell the finished product.
The term kente comes from the word kenten, which means
'basket'. The original cloths were woven out of raffia and
were dubbed 'basket cloths'. These days it's the norm to use
softer yarns, such as silk or cotton. Strips of cloth about
4 inches wide are woven on a horizontal loom, then sewn together
to make a larger garment which can be worn as a dress or a
wrap.
Certain symbols and designs are loaded with significance,
such as a zigzag which shows political prudence, or a rectangle
which is a display of male domination. The weavers are at
liberty to invent patterns of their own, which they call by
an ominous or proverbial name. Some favourite patterns are
Wofro Dua Pa A Na Yepia Wo ('one who climbs a tree
worth climbing gets the help deserved'), Nyankonton
('God's eye brow - the rainbow') and Abusua Ye Dom ('the
extended family is a force').
The weavers construct their own wooden looms, heddles, spools,
bobbins and other apparatus, all of which, like the cloth
itself, has special symbolic meaning and is treated with a
great deal of respect.
Where to Bag a Bargain
Genuine handmade kente cloth can cost hundreds of dollars
a square yard, but you'll get a better deal if you buy direct
from the weavers in and around Bonwire. Most of the cloths
on sales in the United States are imitations rather than imports,
and if you do manage to find authentic kente cloth it'll cost
a good deal more than at source.
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