Keepin’ up with the Kente

I saw something the other day that reminded me of Kente, the enduring African fabric.

I always used to associate it with the group Arrested Development – and not in a good way either!

I actually saw a lady wearing a lovely black and Kente shift dress. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my phone handy so couldn’t take a picture for you all to see. You can, however, have a look here for some traditional Kente clothing.

So anyway, as usual, it got me thinking( I really should stop doing that – but then again this blog wouldn’t exist if I did!).......where exactly did Kente come from?

Kente is a type of cloth that originated in Ghana. In its original form it was hand-made and woven either in silk or cotton. To the uninitiated, (as usual, until I started reading up and looking around I fell into that category too!) all Kente looks alike – a bright gold or yellow background with blocks of primary colours randomly scattered around it.

Much the same way, I suppose, that all tartan looks alike to most people (yep, me too). The thing is, they both (tartan and Kente) have something in common. They tell a story.

While tartan post nineteenth century was associated with specific clans, Kente is also made up of different styles, each of which has a different name, meaning and ancestral root. 

The bad news is, not too many people nowadays know which Kente is called “unity is strength” or “wise old lady” (yes, they actually have names!) or what the colours in the Kente stand for. The good news is, I’m here to tell you!!

The yellow or gold backgrounds denote royalty, fertility, wealth, spiritual purity, high status and glory. (Originally, Kente was reserved for royalty, not meant for common folk like us!)

The blue is for love, peace and harmony.

The green is for renewal or more literally – vegetation and farming.

The red stands for death, sacrifice and bloodshed

Maroon denotes earth and her healing abilities and black means a period of intensified spirituality and maturation. (Where would we be without Wikipedia?!)

There are other colours but those are the most commonly found. I haven’t figured out what the shapes mean yet but if I ever do, you’ll be the first to know!

Till next time!