Ashanti Kente Cloth

Kente and Ewe cloths are produced by male weavers in Ghana. The difference between them is the material used. While the Ewe are cotton the Kente are silk and rayon combination, resulting in softer luxuriant look and feel. Both are produced in strips on a four to six heddled wooden looms with alternating weft facing and warp facing blocks. The strips are then joined together to create larger panels with checkered field. They are still used and there is also production of varying qualities of printed, less expensive alternatives.

On most kente cloths the pattern is arbitrary . This eye dazzler’s pattern is anything but coincidental. It is comprised of groups of three matching strips that are joined lengthwise.

All colors found in Kente cloth textiles have special meanings. Yellow is associated with wealth and fertility, blue is harmony and love, black is maturation, maroon is healing and protection, green is vegetation and growth, and white is purification and healing.