Kente Cloth
Ghanaian
Description
Subject Matter:
This is kente cloth, a format of strip-woven cloth produced by the Akan and Ewe in Ghana. Kente cloth is typically worn draped over one shoulder and wrapped around the body. The third textile is a kente cloth from Ghana. Kente cloth was historically worn by Akan or Ewe royalty in Ghana, but over the decades has also come to be used more broadly in celebratory contexts such as school graduations or weddings. Particularly in the second half of the twentieth century, kente cloth was also taken up by some African Americans as a statement of Black identity rooted in ideals of pan-Africanism. The kente cloth here was specially commissioned by the current owner as a replica of a friend’s wedding cloth. The colors and patterns employed on kente are symbolic and certain patterns often visually correspond with proverbs or specific sentiments. Today, kente cloth and kente-like designs are incorporated into everyday streetwear, sometimes as a symbol of Ghanaian national and cultural pride, sometimes as a symbol of a pan-African identity.
Physical Description:
A large, heavy cloth comprised of horizontal stripes of yellow, red, and green and with four vertical bands patterned with pinwheeling yellow, black, and green triangles.
Usage Rights:
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