Kente Cloth
Original Language TitleOyokoman
CultureAkan peoples, Asante subgroup
Dateearly 20th century
MediumSilk and pigments
DimensionsApproximate: 86 1/2 × 130 inches (219.71 × 330.2 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: the Shirley and Barnett Helzberg Fund in support of the African Art department
Object number2013.2.5
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 design consisting of bold geometric patterns rendered in dominant red, yellow and green colors identify it as Oyokoman. Before the 20th century, the Oyokoman cloth design was considered the prerogative of the Oyoko clan, whose members were considered the sole legitimate heirs to the Asante monarchy. The cloth’s large size suggests that it was intended for a man. This kind of composition is still associated with Asante courtiers and wealthy individuals, though the restrictions on who can purchase them are no longer strictly enforced.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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