The Royal Story of Kente Cloth — More Than Just Fabric

Kente cloth is perhaps the most recognisable textile to emerge from the African continent. Its bold geometric patterns and rich colour palette have made it a symbol of African pride worn by presidents, worn at graduations, and draped across coffins of the great. But to understand Kente is to understand that it is far more than fabric.

Origins in Bonwire

The weaving of Kente (called nwentoma in Akan) originates in Bonwire, a small town near Kumasi in Ghana's Ashanti region. According to oral tradition, the craft was taught to the Ashanti people by a spider named Anansi — the same trickster spider who features in stories across West Africa and the African diaspora.

The actual historical record places Kente weaving in the Ashanti kingdom around the 17th century, during the reign of King Osei Tutu. The earliest Kente was woven from silk unravelled from imported fabrics, then rewoven on narrow-strip looms in intricate patterns.

A Language of Colour

Each colour in Kente carries deep symbolic meaning passed down through generations:

Gold and yellow — royalty, wealth, high status, glory, and spiritual purity. The Akan word for gold (sika) forms part of the name of the most sacred Kente pattern.

Green — growth, renewal, good health, and the environment. Green Kente is often worn at naming ceremonies to welcome new life.

Red — political passion, sacrifice, and mourning for the dead. Red Kente appears prominently at funerals and political ceremonies.

Blue — peace, harmony, love, and the spirit. Blue is associated with the feminine and with water.

White — purification, festive occasions, and contact with ancestors. White Kente is worn when speaking to the divine.

Black — maturation, intensified spiritual energy, and the richness of the African soil.

The Weaving Process

Traditional Kente is woven on a horizontal strip loom that produces cloth approximately four inches wide. A master weaver works with intricate patterns memorised over years of apprenticeship, often beginning training as young as seven years old.

The narrow strips are then sewn together edge to edge to create a large cloth — traditionally twelve strips for a full royal cloth, though ceremonial sizes vary. A complete royal Kente cloth can take weeks to produce.

The patterns themselves have names — Sika Futuro (Gold Dust), Oyokoman (the pattern of the Oyoko clan), Emaa Da (something new has appeared) — each with specific ceremonial contexts in which they should be worn.

From Royal Courts to Global Symbol

Originally, Kente was reserved exclusively for Ashanti royalty. The first Ghanaian President, Kwame Nkrumah, wore it when Ghana gained independence in 1957, transforming it into a pan-African symbol of liberation and pride. Since then, Kente has travelled far beyond Ghana's borders.

Today, you'll find Kente patterns in fashion houses in Paris, on graduation stoles at American universities, and draped across the shoulders of African diaspora communities who use it as a visual declaration of heritage. Yet the finest Kente is still woven by hand on narrow-strip looms in Bonwire — where you can visit the weavers at work and commission your own cloth.

Buying Authentic Kente

When purchasing Kente, look for the characteristic narrow-strip construction (visible on close inspection) and the weight and texture of hand-woven silk or cotton. Mass-produced Kente is printed on flat fabric — beautiful, but not the same thing. The real thing will have slight irregularities that are the fingerprints of human craftsmanship.

AfriCraft works directly with master weavers in Bonwire and Kumasi to bring you genuine handwoven Kente cloth with full documentation of its origin and meaning.