Dress

Unknown artist

The colourful cotton fabrics of the Asante in Ghana are called 'kente'. The word kente is probably derived from the Phanti word 'kenten', which means basket. Textiles were carried to market in baskets. Kente textiles were mainly worn by the aristocracy in the 19th century, before they also became popular with the middle classes in Ghana. Many Ghanaians, including non-Asante, see these rugs as national dress. Currently, kente is mainly worn on Sundays and holidays. The kente rugs are exported in large quantities, including to the United States. There the descendants of slaves from Africa consider them as a symbol of their 'fatherland'. Nowadays, kente motifs are depicted on all kinds of objects. \As in all of West Africa, among the Asante it is mainly the men who weave. They use a simple horizontal shaft loom, on which they weave narrow strips of cloth. Weaving the many intricate patterns requires a high degree of specialization. The strips of fabric are sewn together to form a rectangular piece, which is worn as clothing. The names given to kente rugs are very varied. They often refer to important monarchs, historical events, plant and animal kingdom or objects. \This garment is a kent men's garment worn on Sundays and holidays. Men wear kente as a sort of toga, leaving the right shoulder uncovered.‖ The colors and patterns woven into the fabric all have symbolic meaning. The most labour intensive kente rugs, with a huge variety of patterns are called 'adweneasa'. This means "my skill is exhausted" or "my ideas are finished".\If worn by women.