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Unknown"Fabric - Ashanti Tribal Cloth, " Silk Weaving from Africa circa 1930circa 1930
circa 1930
About the Item
Among the most well-known West African textiles is kente cloth, woven by the Ewe and Asante peoples of Ghana. The word kente is not used by the Asante people; it may be derived from the Fante word kenten ("basket") which refers to the checkerboard appearance of the cloths. Both cultures weave similar types of cloth. Kente is known as "prestige cloth" because it has been a symbol of status and wealth for its wearers. Once the textile of kings, it is now worn by anyone who can afford it.
The Asante people controlled the only source of gold available to pre-Columbian Christendom. They prospered through trade with the Portuguese, Dutch, British, and other European traders. Their great wealth allowed the king and court to commission sumptuous and densely patterned cloth for royal textiles. As there are no silkworms indigenous to Ghana, Asante leaders acquired silk textiles through trade. Local artists then unraveled the cloths to obtain silk threads of many colors to be used in the weaving of cloth. Alternatively, Italian waste silk was brought down by camel caravan across the Sahara. The influx of imported fibers allowed the kente palette to be dramatically intensified. Asante kente is the product of narrow band or stripweaving done by men on a horizontal loom with four heddles. Stripweaving as a method of manufacturing cloth is most characteristic of West Africa. Asante kente cloth is characterized by vibrant colors and complex patterning.
Historically, the textile was made of silk. This brocade cloth is made of twenty to twenty-four strips about four inches wide sewn together selvedge to selvedge to make a man's garment. It is draped, toga-like around the body with one loose end brought up and over the left shoulder. Clothes for women are smaller and worn in pairs wrapped tightly around the body. Asante patterns are non-representational. Each pattern of background warp has a distinctive name as does each weft pattern and whole cloths also have names.
- Creation Year:circa 1930
- Dimensions:Height: 76 in (193.04 cm)Width: 46 in (116.84 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Milwaukee, WI
- Reference Number:
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