Kente / Adinkra

Kente clothing is native to the Ashanti people of Ghana and is worn across different tribes in Ghana. It is widely believed that the intricate Kente design patterns came from observing the spider’s web. It is made from silk or cotton and dyes from the roots of the “kuntunkuni” plant. The fabrics were originally reserved for royals and members of the palace court. The cloths are woven into colorful rectangular or square shapes each and some fabrics have special messages encoded in them with an adinkra symbol. Most of the kente patterns contain wordings and sayings, easily spotted by natives who can decipher it.

Each color found on a Kente fabric also has its own meaning. For example, black represents mourning, spiritual vitality, red could represent either blood, political strength etc., Blue represents peace, harmony and unity, gold or yellow symbolizes nobility. White represents  peace and unity while green could either mean growth or fertility. The weaving of the Kente fabric was traditionally done by men.