Kente Cloth
CultureAkan peoples, Asante subgroup
Dateearly 20th century
MediumSilk and pigments
Credit LinePurchase: the Shirley and Barnett Helzberg Fund in support of the African Art department
Object number2013.2.4
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionThis cloth is strip-woven and the medium is silk, which is considered the most prestigious in Akan culture. Its geometric pattern rendered against dominant olive green background makes it rare in Asante weaving because it suggests that the dye used for the yarns were all natural. As weavers embraced synthetic dyes in the 20th century, use of natural dyes for yarns fell into abeyance. Certain cloths owned by the rulers and wealthy in Asante culture continued to be made with natural dyes, which had medicinal and other uses. Creating yarns with natural pigments is time-consuming and thus rendering the cloth too expensive for the average person. The cloth’s large size suggests that it was intended for a man. It would have been associated with an Asante courtier or wealthy individuals.ProvenanceWith John Akwasi Adu Agyei, Kenteland Enterprise, Accra, Ghana, by 2012 [1];
Purchased from John Akwasi Adu Agyei by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2013.
NOTES:
[1] According to John Akwasi Adu Agyei, Kenteland Enterprise, he bought this cloth from an elder of the town of Ntonso, near Kumasi.
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