Minneapolis Institute of Art

Man's cloth

Asante artist; or Akan artist

Date

20th century

Medium

Cotton, strip woven, supplementary weft patterning

Culture

Asante or Akan

Department

Arts of Global Africa

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Kente cloth is believed to have originated in Ghana in the mid-17th century. The first cloths were made of locally produced cotton and embellished with simple patterns of stripes and designs of indigo-dyed thread on a white ground. This piece, although more elaborate than the earliest cloths, is representative of the most traditional and enduring styles. Both Ewe and Asante weavers produce this type of cloth in the old style. This piece is most likely to be Asante in origin, based on the geometric adwen (designs) and the use of the Akyem (shield) motif in the border and in the blocks of patterning. Two of the strips are noticeably shorter than the others; the weaver probably lost track of the pattern progression, as the shortage is equivalent to one full susudua (design block). Asante or Akan, Africa

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