The Beautiful Ghanaian Kente.

"KENTE" is a brilliantly colourful fabric, entirely hand-woven by Ghanaian weavers. The brilliant colours and intricate designs associated with Kente have definitely made this fabric the best known of all Ghanaian, and perhaps even all West African textiles. Every design has a story with a proverbial meaning, giving each cloth its own distinction.

Uses Of Kente
Kente cloth is usually worn for ceremonies, festivals, and other sacred occasions. It is also given as a gift for weddings, child naming ceremonies, graduations, and other special events.

Women wear the cloth in 2 pieces - 1 piece about 2 yards long and 45 inches wide wrapped round the waist to form a floor-length skirt worn over a blouse specially sewn in plain material. The other Kente piece was either hung loosely over the arm or used as a shawl or stole.

Men wear the cloth in much the same way as the 'Toga' was worn by the ancient Greeks, and it would seem that these ancient people must have been in contact centuries ago.
Kente Patterns
The patterns of the cloth have evolved with the rigid standards of society itself, so one can easily say that if Kente were taken away from Ghana, it would be like taking the 'Kimono' away from Japan. Ghana and the Kente are culturally inseparable.

The patterns are so intricate that the artist, amid a welter of balls of cotton thread of every colour, must sometimes snip off tiny bits to be applied over a width of about 1 centimeter, or even one milimetre, while carefully counting the woof threads.

Meanings of the colors 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;
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; assoc. with the moon
white—purification, sanctification rites and festive occasions
yellow—preciousness, royalty, wealth, fertility, beauty