Every strip of kente is about the width of a hand. The cloth that drapes Ghanaian chiefs, graduates and brides is built from dozens of these narrow strips, woven one at a time on wooden looms and sewn together. In Bonwire, a town north-east of Kumasi, the clack of looms has been the sound of daily life for generations.
The legend
Bonwire’s weavers tell a story of two men, often named Ota Kraban and Kwaku Ameyaw, who went hunting and watched a spider spin its web. They copied the spider’s method using raffia fibres, and so kente weaving began. It is a legend rather than history, but it is told with pride in the town.
The loom
Kente is woven on a horizontal strip loom worked by the weaver’s hands and feet. The weaver sits at the loom, operating pedals that raise and lower threads while passing the shuttle across. The result is a long, narrow strip with blocks of pattern. Many strips are then sewn edge to edge to make a full cloth.
From silk to cotton and rayon
Early kente used cotton and imported silk, which weavers sometimes unravelled from European fabrics to reuse the threads. Today, rayon and cotton are common, along with silk for the most expensive pieces.
Names and meanings
Each kente pattern has a name, and many carry proverbs or historical meanings. Some designs were once reserved for the Asantehene and royal family. Wearing a particular pattern can send a message about status, wisdom or occasion.
Bonwire and Adanwomase
Bonwire is the most famous kente town, but it is not the only one. Nearby Adanwomase also has a long weaving tradition and also claims to be the origin of Asante kente. The two towns have friendly rivalry, and visitors often tour both.
Ewe kente
Kente is also woven by the Ewe people in the Volta Region, in towns such as Agotime and Kpetoe. Ewe kente often includes figures and symbols woven into the cloth, and its colours and patterns differ from Asante styles.
Kente around the world
Kente has become a global symbol of African identity. African American graduates wear kente stoles. Politicians and celebrities wear it for important occasions. Printed copies made in factories are sold worldwide, which worries weavers who depend on handwoven sales.
Visiting Bonwire
Visitors to Bonwire can watch weavers at work, learn about patterns and buy cloth directly. Buying from weavers ensures that money goes to the people who make it.
The strips are narrow and the work is slow. A full cloth can take weeks. That patience is why handwoven kente from Bonwire still carries a value that printed copies never will.
