Chandni Ladies African Kente Cloth Full Traditional Dress

Kente is a meaningful sartorial device, as every aspect of its aesthetic design is intended as communication. The colors of the cloth each hold symbolism: gold = status/serenity, yellow = fertility, green = renewal, blue = pure spirit/harmony, red = passion, black = union with ancestors/spiritual awareness Kente cloth comes from a textile practice that originated in Ghana centuries ago. ... Weaving kente cloth is a cultural tradition of the Asante (also known as Ashanti) people, and these fabrics were originally used exclusively to dress kings and their courts. Colorful Kente cloth—made of handwoven silk and cotton—has been part of Ghanaian tradition for hundreds of years. The colors and patterns in any given piece tell a story. Within Ghana, kente designs are used for specific occasions and are even protected by law. Diana Baird N’Diaye, a cultural specialist at the Center for Folklife and Culture Heritage, thinks it’s fine for Americans, especially those of African ancestry, to wear appropriate kente patterns to events such as graduations and funerals, as long as the cloth itself was handwoven in Africa. When designers make abstract patterns based on the look of kente, she thinks they should make it clear to the public where they’re getting their inspiration. But they shouldn’t copy actual kente patterns. “It’s not just a decorative print,”