Although
Kente, as we know it was developed in the
17th Century A.D. by the
Ashanti people, it has it roots in a long tradition of weaving in
Africa dating back to about
3000 B.C. The origin of Kente is explained with both a legend and historical accounts. A legend has it that a man named Ota Karaban and his friend Kwaku Ameyaw from the town of
Bonwire (now the leading
Kente weaving center in
Ashanti), learned the art of weaving by observing a spider weaving its web.
Taking a cue from the spider, they wove a strip of raffia fabric and later improved upon their skill. They reported their discovery to their chief
Nana Bobie, who in turn reported it to the Asantehene (
The Ashanti Chief) at that time. The Asantehene adopted it as a royal cloth and encouraged its development as a cloth of prestige reserved for special occasions.
Historical accounts trace the origin of Kente weaving to early weaving traditions in ancient
West African Kingdoms that flourished between
300 A.D. and 1600 A.D. Some historians maintain that Kente is an outgrowth of various weaving traditions that existed in
West Africa prior to the formation of the
Ashanti Kingdom in the 17th Century. Archaeological research has dated examples of narrow-strip cloths woven in West Africa as early as the
11th Century A.D. and perhaps earlier. Some examples of woven fabrics have been found in the caves of the
Bandiagara cliffs in
Mali. These cloths used in burial ceremonies, probably, during the medieval
Ghana, Mali and Soghai
Empires, have technical and aesthetic features similar to many of the narrow-strip cloths in many parts of West Africa. Such cloths which the Akans call "Nsaa" are important components of scared royal paraphernalia in most
Akan royal courts today and are know to have been traded with articles of prestige by Akan
Kings and chiefs early in the 17th Century. Many features of such cloths appear in the early and later narrow-strip cloths woven in Ashanti. Given these historical accounts, it is believed that the Ashanti craftsmen might have learned weaving skills from other peoples living
North and
West of them and later developed their unique style of cloth.
Fellowship -
UMW of
First United Methodist Church College Station
is sponsoring
The Black History Movie and
Soul Food Dinner on 2/27.
Save the dates; sign-up to bring a dish in the foyer.
- published: 21 Feb 2011
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