What does the kente cloth stand for?

What does the kente cloth stand for?

Kente is a meaningful sartorial device, as every aspect of its aesthetic design is intended as communication. The colors of the cloth each hold symbolism: gold = status/serenity, yellow = fertility, green = renewal, blue = pure spirit/harmony, red = passion, black = union with ancestors/spiritual awareness.

What is the traditional dress of Ghana?

The smock and Kente cloth are the national dress of Ghana. Kente cloth originated in the southern region of Ghana. The smock is made of hand-loomed strips popularly called Strip Cloths.

How should I dress in kente?

Wrap the Kente Cloth around the body, underneath the arms (exposing the shoulders) and at waist or breast level. Coordinate with a solid colored blouse. You may also wrap Kente around the shoulders to wear as a shawl.

What is Kente yarn?

It is the best known of all African textiles. Kente comes from the word kenten, which means “basket”. The very first Kente weavers used raffia, or palm leaf fibers, and wove them into a cloth that looked like a basket. The Asante peoples refer to kente cloth as Nwentoma or “woven cloth”.

Can anyone wear a Kente stole?

While any high school or college student qualifies to wear a Kente stole at their graduation, the display should hold a deep, personal significance for the wearer. Stoles were first used by the Catholic clergy in the 12th century, worn to distinguish rank or promotion within their hierarchy.

What is the name of traditional African clothing?

The dashiki is a colorful garment worn mostly in West Africa.

When can you wear kente?

How do you wear a kente stole?

How to Wear a Stole

1. Put on your graduation cap and gown first, the stole should be the outermost layer of your academic outfit.
2. Put stole around neck with the center point in the back.
3. The two long ends should fall in front over your chest equal in length.

Who wore the kente cloth?

Kente cloth, the traditional or national cloth of Ghana, is worn by most southern Ghanaian ethnic groups including the Akan, the Ga, and the Ewe.

What kind of cloth did the Ashanti wear?

So check this out, Kente cloth was worn by the Ashanti. It’s made of silk so the affluent wore it. The Ashanti were also known as slave owners and traders.

Why was the Kente cloth important to the Ashantis?

Kente Cloth: An Ashanti Tradition dating Centuries back. It is associated with femininity, because the woman gives life (creation – procreation). This shape is very common in the kente as a reminder that the Akan society is matrilineal. Triangle: with its three sides, represents life and family.

Where did the Ashanti people come from in Africa?

Ashanti people are part of the Akan ethnic group. The Akan people migrated to present-day Ghana and other parts of West Africa from the Sahel and the Sahara Desert regions of Africa in the 11th century. Some believe the Ashanti tribe history began in the eastern terrains of Africa, which is where the formation and development of the Akan happened.

What kind of cloth is used in Suriname?

There, they created new communities that often adapted and/or continued traditions from the old world. Today, for example, the Maroon people of Suriname weave a cotton cloth called Pangi that is comparable in style and design to the Kente cloth of their Ashanti ancestors.