1. KENTE CLOTH
According to Ofori Ansah, kente cloth is more than just
a cloth. It is a visual representation of history, social
codes of conduct, religious beliefs, political thought,
proverbs and certain attribute of plant and animal life.
For example, K Atta Fuso, the kente design, Oyokoman,
there is fire between the two factions of Oyoko clan
which refers to the civil war which broke out after the
death of King Osie Tutu.
2. Kente cloth is a type of silk and cotton fabric made of
interwoven cloth strips and is native to the Akan group of
South Ghana. Its origin with the Ashanti kingdom and was
adopted by people in Ivory Coast and many other West
African countries.
Therefore, kente cloth is just a traditional dress which
represents the culture and history of the Akan people in
Ghana.
Below are the kente cloth patterns and their meaning;
3. •Obi Nkye Oby Kwan Mu Si- To err is Human
.
Symbolizes Forgiveness, Conciliation, Tolerance, Patience and Fairness.
4. •Oyokoman Na Gya Da Mu- Crisis in the Oyoko Nation.
Symbolizes internal conflict, warning against internal strife, need for
unity in diversity and reconciliation.
5. •Sika Fre Mogya- Money attracts blood relations.
Symbol of family relations, responsibility, hard work
and sharing.
9. Most of African countries have got different
tribes with their culture and origin. Every tribe
has got dresses which represent their life style as
well as historical background.
Apart from Kente in Ghana, in Tanzania also,
there are many tribes with different culture and
traditions including clothes as part of their
culture. The Maasai tribe will be my case study.
10. The Maasai people are nomads who mainly live in
Northern Tanzania.
Every maasai does not wear the exact same clothes,
but there are few common traits. For example, most
maasai wear the color red because it symbolizes their
culture and they believe it scares away lions.
Also, most of the men wear a shuka, which is red
robe. The women wear clothes that are colorful and
decorated with beads.
11. The Maasai are famous for their beaded
jewelry. The men wear beaded bands on their
wrist, ankles, waists and necks. Each color of
bead represents something.
For instance, Red means bravery and strength,
White means the color of cow’s milk, Blue
means the color of sky and rain, Green
symbolizes plants, Orange and Yellow mean
hospitality and finally, Black symbolizes the
hardship of the people.
12. Below is the Maasai woman with jewelry
beads on her neck.
