KENTE IS ALL AM FEELING RIGHT NOW

 African print fabrics come from different countries on the continent, and from other continents too. But there's one particular fabric from Ghana that's caught my attention the last few months. Kente.
  Kente is from the Ashanti, or Asante, people are from Ghana, on the western coast of Africa. The Ashanti tribe practices a variety of arts, from wood carving to metal casting, but they are known mostly for their weaving, particularly of a special cloth called kente.

 
The term is rooted in the word “kenten,” or basket. The first kente weavers used raffia fibers to weave kenten-like cloth, which were referred to as “kenten ntoma,” or basket cloth. Kente weaving dates back to the 17th Century, but legend has it that it originates from two friends, who stumbled upon a spider in the forest. They learned to weave by watching the spider spin its web.

   The pair improved on the technique and showed a piece they wove out of raffia palm to the Ashanti Chief, who adopted it as a royal cloth for very important social and religious ceremonies.

 Today kente is still present at special occasions, perhaps as gifts for puberty or marriage rites, or as a symbol of reverence during ancestor worship. It is also commonly worn at community celebrations to display prestige and merriment.

  Kente serves as a visual representation of the Ashanti people’s history, culture, political thought, and religious beliefs. Both color and pattern are essential to the symbolism and the aesthetic effect of kente. Yellow, for example, may be associated with the yoke of an egg or with the mineral gold, representing fertility, royalty, and wealth.

Despite the fabric being named for the Ashanti tribe, other Ghanaian groups, such as Bono, Fante, and Nzema, also make kente.

Nick Ondu head designer at Ankara vintage

   Am looking to get a dress made from Kente very soon, if i can find the perfect color combination (Nick Ondu i hope you are reading this.Hint hint )

 I 'll leave you with one last photo that i found pretty inspiring for those who'd love to do an African inspired wedding..

 
  Info courtesy of :http://www.fortuny.com/blog/2012/02/
and pictures from google.

 Have a fab weekend ahead,

“Don't set sail on someone Else's star”

 African Proverb quote

 XOXO,

Cynthia Mwangi

Posted in: African fashion, african print, Ghana fashion, kente