So as many of you may know at Styles- Afrik we love to use Kente Print in alot of our designs. So we thought today we would share with you the history behind the Kente Cloth and what each colour on a Kente Cloth represents.
So here is some history……
Kente cloth, known as nwentom in Akan, is a type of silk and cotton fabric made of interwoven cloth strips and is native to the Akan ethnic group of South Ghana. Kente is made in Akan lands such as Ashanti Kingdom, (Bonwire, Adanwomase, Sakora Wonoo, Ntonso in the Kwabre areas of the Ashanti Region) and by Akans in Ivory Coast. It is also worn by many other groups who have been influenced by Akans. It is the best known of all African textiles.
It is an Akan royal and sacred cloth worn only in times of extreme importance and was the cloth of kings. Over time, the use of Kente became more widespread. However, its importance has remained and it is held in high esteem with Akans.
Meanings of the colours 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; 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
Legend
Legend has it that Kente was first made by two Akan friends who went hunting in an the Asanteman forest found a spider making its web. The friends stood and watched the spider for two days then returned home and implemented what they had seen.
Styles Afrik Kente Designs
So to honour the 2 hunters here are some of the designs we have put together
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