Suburban Acres Library
Kente Cloth and Adinkra Cloth
Folklore links Kente to the Asante hunters' encounter with the spider or Anasi. The word "Kente" is said to have originated from the Fante people of Ghana, who sold this cloth and carried it in baskets -- the Fante word for basket is "kenten." Authentic Kente is woven in 4-inch-wide strips. Often Kente is sewn by machine, but the traditional method is to whipstitch the segments by hand. Because of its vibrant beauty and regal legacy as a cloth fit for kings and queens, authentic Kente remains one of the most popular fabrics on the market.
Kente patterns have religious, political and even financial significance. Today there is a pattern to mark the importance of almost any special occasion and colors are chosen to reflect customs and beliefs.
- Red represents death or bloodshed, and is often worn during political rallies.
- Green stands for fertility.
- White means purity or victory.
- Yellow represents glory and maturity and is worn by chiefs.
- Blue is for love and is often worn by the queen mother.
- Black represents aging and maturity.
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Epie Akyi |
Fathia Fata Nkrumah |
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Golden Stool |
Adrinkra is highly valued in the realm of handprinted and embroidered cloths. Its origin is traced to the Asante people of Ghana and the Gyaman people of Cote' d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). However, the production and use of Adinkra are more associated with the Asante people than any other group of people. Around the 19th century, the Asante people developed their unique art of Adinkra printing.
The work adinkra means goodbye, and originally the cloth was worn only by royalty and spiritual leaders for mourning during funeral services and important sacred ceremonies. Now anyone can wear it for any occasion.
The symbols and their meaning are still used to convey a message. In its totality, Adinkra symbolism is a visual representation of social thought relating to the history, philosophy and religious beliefs of the Akan peoples of Ghana and Cote' d'Ivoire.
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Each of the symbols on this cloth have a special meaning.
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Adinkera aduru (Adinkera medicine) is the dye used in the stamping process. It is prepared by boiling the bark of the Badie tree together with iron slag. Originally the printing was done on a cotton piece lying on the ground. Today, raised platforms with sack coverings act as the printing table. The designs, cut on pieces of calabash with pieces of wood attached for handling, are dipped into the Adinkera aduru, then stamped onto the cloth.
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The Kente and Adinkra cloths that are on display in the Suburban Acres Library were woven for the library system in Tema, Ghana. The fabric was obtained through the efforts of Mary Badoe, a native of Ghana who lives in Tulsa. She contacted her family, the Ocran family, who live in Ghana and asked them to assist us in locating authentic fabrics. Her sister, Elizabeth Lawani, arranged for local craftsmen to weave the special designs for use in the library, then handled all of the special shipping requirements to send the fabrics to the United States. We commend the Ocran family for their collaboration on this project and for making sure that it was completed on time for the grand reopening of the library. |