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Patterns & Symbols in Kente & Korhogo Cloths

© Jim Nash & Gilbert "Bobbo" Ahiagble

Patterns & Symbols in Kente & Korhogo Cloths by Jim Nash & Gilbert "Bobbo" Ahiagble (re-printed with permission)

(Editor's note: a little understood part of early American history was that slaves from certain parts of West Africa were specifically targeted for enslavement because they were master spinners and weavers of cotton cloth called "kente." One of the reasons "cotton was king" was that it was raised by people who had many centuries experience as cotton cultivators.)

The inlaid motifs woven on Kente and Korhogo cloth have a symbolic meaning, some well known to all, others known for the most part only among weavers. In the case of Kente, however, the finished cloth generally does not derive its name from these motifs but rather from thewarp, which gives it the underlying theme, like the beat of a musical composition. On the bottom of this page aresome links to a few samples of Kente and Korhogo symbols and patterns, giving their names and meanings.

You might be surprised by what you see referred to as *kente cloth.* In fact the examples at: http://www.africancrafts.com/kandk/kandk... are the kente cloth woven by the Ewe people, who live along the eastern border of Ghana and the western border of Togo. While it has many similarities, it also has differences with that woven by the Ashanti, which is much more familiar to people outside of Ghana - as it's more popular patterns seem to be printed on any object which can be printed upon.

If you ask an Ewe weaver, he will tell you that the patterns the Ashanti weave are a subset of those he has learned. Should you ask an Ashanti weaver, no doubt, the story will be the other way around. Any discussion of which group influenced the other the most will be subject to some speculation; if you're interested in the subject we can recommend some. In particular *African Majesty* has some truly outstanding color plate samples of both group's weavings, in addition to an interesting text. To quote from this book on the subject of Ewe and Ashanti weavings :

"Until the establishment of the Ashanti empire in the 17th century, with their taste for imported luxury cloth, many of the indigenous strip-weaving industries of West Africa were known for their simple output of cotton or, rarely, coarse local silk, blue-and-white or plain-coloured textiles. The sophistication demanded by the courts of the Ashanti empire encouraged the development of a hierarchy of Akan and other excellent weavers, such as the Ewe, to produce cloths for the royal family and their acolytes. The dazzle of colour and silk influenced the desires of the rulers and wealthy indigens, such as merchants, of the surrounding groups in the shadow of the Ashanti kingdom. It was the most versatile weavers who were prepared to take up the challenge of the pioneering Ashanti spirit for colour, and in this context it is the Ewe who proved to be the champions."(p.47)