28/01/2020
Two Ghanaian women in Kente cloth robes circa 1950's. taken by .
Kente or Nwentom, is a silk/cotton blend cloth worn by nearly every ethnic group in Ghana.
The word "kente" means basket, and comes from the Akan dialect of Ashanti.
Traditionally it was worn by the king & royal family at occasions of great importance. In more modern times, the use has become more wide spread, often worn by ordinary Ghanaians at weddings, for example.
According to legend: "two farmers, Krugu Amoaya and Watah Kraban, from the village of Bonwire, came across a spider, Ananse, spinning a web. Amazed by the web’s beauty, the farmers returned to their homes eager to try and recreate the web. They wove a cloth first from white, and then black and white, fibers from a raffia tree. They then presented their cloth to the Ashanti Asantehene, or king, Nana Osei Tutu (who reigned from 1701 to 1717). Some of the symbolic meanings of the colours:
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; bloodshed; sacrificial rites and death.
silver: serenity, purity, joy; associated with the moon
white: purification, sanctification rites and festive occasions
yellow: preciousness, royalty, wealth, fertility, beauty
sources:ultimatehistoryproject.com & nowness.com