3.1 Historical Background of Kente and the Involvement of Nonverbal Communication

Article 3.1, Historical Background of Kente

This article describes the history of Kente, a hand woven cloth of different colors, fabrics, and motifs. Kente was originally referred to as Kenten ntoma, meaning basket cloth in which Kente cloths were woven in a way that resembled a “Kenten”, or basket. As the author writes, the Kente has a “textile history of mixed origin.” There are several different reports and accounts of the beginning of Kente.

1. Two farmers learned by watching a spider create its web and trying to duplicate it
2. An Ota Kraban purchased a loom from a Gyaman and began Kente in Bonwire
3. Introduction through trade from Northern Africa to the Ashanti (located in Ghana)
4. Began in Ancient West African Kingdom where examples of the weaving are found in caves
5. Originated with the Ewes, who taught the Ashanti. The two words “Ke,” meaning “open it”, and “Te,” meaning “press it” were used to teach an apprentice the proper technique. It is unknown how the n was added to form “Kente”.

 Both the Ewe and Ashanti people used and use these cloths as part of tradition within their culture. The differences between the two people are below.

Ewe:

• No connection with a court of royalty
• Originally used mainly cotton yarns, which mature and become dull
• Now use silks, cotton, and rayons to produce bright Kente cloths
• Produce a type of Kente referred to as “Shan-Shan”, no messages within the fabrics

Ashanti

• Silk and cotton yarns that are vivid and bright
• Call the “Shan-Shan” an “Ahwepan”, no messages within the fabrics

Types of Kente include woven fabrics referred to by the Ewe as the “Shan-Shan” and by the Ashanti as “Ahwepan.” These type of fabrics do not hold a specific message. Another type is the “Printex”, however these factory made fabrics are known as “imitation” because they do no use the traditional strips of fabric.

Color Symbolism in Kente Cloths

Ghana uses color to portray mood, occasion, gender, and aesthetic taste, these are examples of nonverbal communication with the garnets and how they are interpreted in that culture. A comparable example of this would be how Americans interpret the red octagon as a single of “stop” (nonverbal communication). However, now the colors are based on an individual preference with not much consideration of the color symbolism.

• White (ivory, white glass, eggshell): purity, virtue, innocence, joy, and victory, worn by brides, girls in the beginning of puberty
• Black: worn in funeral ceremonies
• Gold(controlled fire): royalty, continuous life, and warmth, worn by Chiefs
• Yellow(fowl fat): royalty, prosperity, glory, maturity, and the prime of life, worn by chiefs
• Green(new leaves): newness, vitality, and primeness of growth., worn by teenagers during puberty rites
• Red (blood): deep melancholy such as war and anger, worn during funerals and political rallies
• Blue (silver and early dawn): love, female tenderness, rule of a queen mother
• Gray (ashes): degradation and shamefulness