Kente – Asante’s Amazing Art of Weaving

Kente is one of Africa’s historic and most prestigious cloths invented from the art of weaving. It is a type of soft and cotton textile made of interwoven cloth strips.

Kente is the significant traditional attire in Ghana, and every Ghanaian wears this amazing woven fabric. The name ‘kente’ was derived from kenten which interprets basket in the dialect of Akan of the Asante people. Akans also describe kente as nwentoma, meaning woven cloth.
Kente, which was the Akan’s sacred and royal cloth, was worn only by kings during extremely important occasions back in the 17th and 18th centuries. The fabric, during this period, could generally only be afforded by the Asante royal and noble class.

Over several centuries, the use of the dashing kente, though held in high esteem in several parts of Ghana, became more widespread and accepted globally as one of the best cloth made from the art of weaving.