The Symbolic Meanings of Kente Cloth Designs Among The Asantes and Ewes of Ghana

Kente is one of the well known native fabrics of Ghana. The beginning of the specialty is divided between the Asante ethnic culture in the southern piece of the Ashanti area and the Ewe ethnic culture in the Volta locale of Ghana. The hours of finding the craft of winding around and the plans among the two gatherings were concurrent. While the Asantes accept that they gained the art from how grass normally interlocks, the Ewes guarantee they gained the specialty from the red and dark stripped cobra which is their emblem. Anything be the situation, there are fascinating examples and shades of the native material that have intriguing emblematic implications that uncover the qualities, standards and convictions of the ethnic societies. It is fundamental that wearers of this well known fabric know the significance of the plans and styles so they can wear them to suitable events.

Asante Kente Names and Designs

There are essentially five kente weave designs on which the different intricate and various examples begin. These are Adwin, Akyem, Ahwepan or Hweepan, Nkyeretire or Nkyereano and Faprenu.

• The Adwin kente design is a plan weave design which extremely wonderful. It is noted for its complicated plans consequently the name Adwin (ability). It requires expertise or incredible ability with respect to the weaver to have the option to emerge with this weave design.

• The Akyem kente design is noted for its bright nature. It was named after the nearby bird with various shaded feathers called Akyem by the Asantes of Ghana. Because of the variety in its tones, it is costly and is worn by the affluent in the general public.

• The Ahwepan or Hweepan kente design has no plan in it consequently the name ‘hwee’ amounting to ‘nothing’. It is the simplest of all the weave designs. No big surprise it is woven by novices and new students.

• The Nkyeretire or Nkyereano kente design has the plans showing up just at the edges (‘tire’or ‘ano’) of the woven material with the center of the fabric without any plans.

• The Faprenu kente design has two or twofold (prenu) twist sheets woven along with one weft sheet. It is exceptionally conservative, solid and strong. To this end it was worn by significant characters in the native Ghanaian culture.

• Kyeretwie (kyere-catch, twie-panther). This kente weave design implies one’s capacity to catch a live panther. Because of the way that it is an extremely meticulous assignment accordingly, this kente design is related with power, may and fortitude. Its wearer was considered such. Consequently, this kente design was saved and limited for incredible bosses.

• Adwinasa (Adwin-ability, Asa-depleted). Ghana kente cloth This kente weave design implies the kente weaver has utilized or utilized every one of the abilities and plans that he knows in the winding of the fabric and has depleted every one of them. It is an extremely complicated weave design which is pricey. Hence, significant characters and bosses were permitted to wear this kente design.

• Obo fa, dade fa (halfway stone, mostly metal). This kente weave design is worn for burial service functions. It helps individuals to remember the deprived family and supporters that passing is essential for man (obo-we are dust) accordingly we really want to persevere through the deficiency of the cherished one with a solid internal strength (dade-like metal).

Asante Kente Names and Designs

• Ehianaga (Ehiana-required, ga-cash). It implies cash is required in the Ewe tongue. It is a flawless kind of kente wind among the Ewes. The name suggests that to have the option to buy the kente material requires a lot of cash. It is worn by the rich and popular in the general public.

• Lorlofukpekpe (lorlor-love, fukpekpe-transformed into affliction). This kente weave design fills in as a suggestion to the wearer and spectators that one’s assumptions may not forever be satisfied and that one might confront dissatisfaction or awfulness from those the individual in question loves like accomplices, companions, and family members.

• Afiadeke Mefa o (Afiadeke-Nowhere, Mefa-cool). This kente design in a real sense signifies ‘no place is cool’. It exhorts us that we want not desire for what other have and gripe harshly regarding our condition. It scolds us to be content or like what our identity is, what we have and the circumstances that we track down ourselves.

• Fiawo Yome (Fiawo-ruler, Yome-second or next). This kente weave design signifies ‘close to rulers or second to royals’. It is an exceptionally wonderful and costly weave design. It is worn by notable individuals in the general public.

The imagery of the Kente designs that have been talked about among the two ethnic societies is concerning the primary and exceptionally well known plans of the native fabric. Be that as it may, there are other fluctuated plans with enamoring representative translations. Finding out more about these representative meanings of the material will extend the comprehension of the way of life of these dynamic ethnic social orders in Ghana.