28/01/2021
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History for the cloth
According to Ashanti legend, two farmers from a village called came across a spider and were amazed by its beautiful web whose many unique designs sparkled in the moonlight.
The farmers returned to their homes eager to try and recreate the web. They wove a cloth first from white, and then black and white, fibers from a raffia tree. They then presented their cloth to the , or king, Nana Osei Tutu.
The Asantehene adopted their creation, named kente, as a royal cloth reserved for special occasions, and Bonwire became the leading kente weaving center for the Asantehene and his court.
Kente was then made of silk. Today it is made mostly of cotton, as well as rayon, making it affordable for a much wider reach of the population.
It has also been adopted by the people
Over the years, Kente has been used in the US to reflect a pride in African heritage, including at graduation ceremonies for students in historically black fraternities or sororities.
Every color as a special meaning.
Black----maturation, aging, intensified spiritual energy
Blue------peacefulness, harmony, good fortune, love
Gold-----royalty, wealth, spiritual purity
Green----vegetation, planting, harvesting, growth, good health
Grey-----healing and cleansing rituals; associated with ash
Maroon--the color of mother earth; associated with healing and protection from evil
Pink-----associated with the female essence of life; calmness, sweetness, tenderness
Red------political and spiritual associations; bloodshed; sacrificial rites and death
Silver----serenity, purity, joy; associated with the moon
White---purification, sanctification rites, healing
Yellow---preciousness, royalty, wealth, fertility (yolk of an egg)History
