#kente

[batmanbeyondrocks]

Credit: Amplify Africa Inc.@amplifyafrica

[ptseti]

They sold you a lie. The colonial story was always the same: "We found them naked. We civilized them."

But how is it that Africans have been weaving, stitching, dyeing, and adorning themselves in intricate traditional clothing for centuries—long before any European set foot on the continent?

Kente. Dashiki. Ankara. Adire. Bogolan. These weren't accidents. They were civilizations.

The lie wasn't about fabric. It was about humanity. They needed you to believe we were "uncivilized" so they could justify the taking.

Don't fall for it. We were never naked. We were never lost. We were never waiting to be saved.

📸 Know the truth. Wear it proudly.

[sunshineandrosesnoraincamemyway]

thinking today about how much I love literally all fiber arts. I am hopeless at almost every other kind of art, but as soon as there is thread, yarn, or string I can figure it out fairly quickly.

I learned how to knit when i was eight, started sewing at nine, my dad taught me rock climbing knots around that age, I figured out from a book how to make friendship bracelets, I've made my own drop spindle to make yarn with, and more recently I've picked up visible mending. I've learned embroidery through fixing my overalls, and this year I've learned how to darn and how to do sashiko (which I did for the first time today). After years of being unable to crochet I finally figured it out last night and made seven granny squares in just a few hours.

I want to learn every fiber art that I can. I want to quilt, I want to use a spinning wheel, I want to weave, I want to learn tatting, I want to learn how to weave a basket, I want to learn them all. If I could travel through time and meet anyone in the Bible, high on my list are the craftsmen who made the Tabernacle.

I want to travel the world and learn the fiber arts of every culture, from the gorgeous Mayan weaving in Guatemala, to the stunning batik of Java, to Kente in Ghana. I want to sit at the feet of experienced men and women and watch them do their craft expertly and learn from them.

Of every art form I've seen, it's fiber arts that tug most at my heartstrings.

[themasterpupil]

The meaning of the Kente cloth associated with Obama is primarily one of unity, pride in African heritage, and the celebration of African-American achievement.

Commemoration: The "Obama Kente" design was inspired by traditional weaving and symbolism, created to mark his significant visit to Ghana and the global recognition of African culture.

African-American Identity: In the United States, Kente cloth is widely used as a powerful symbol of identification with African ancestry and pride in Black identity, often worn at significant life events like graduations.

A Symbol of High Status: Historically, Kente cloth was a royal cloth, worn exclusively by the Asantehene (Asante King) and other important figures on special ceremonial occasions, symbolizing wealth, high status, and prestige.

Specific Color Meanings: The colors in Kente cloth each hold specific meanings:

Gold/Yellow: Royalty, wealth, prosperity, and high status.

Green: Growth, renewal, and the land.

Red: Political and spiritual moods, as well as blood and sacrificial rites.

Blue: Peace, harmony, and a pure spirit.

Black: Maturity, spiritual energy, and union with ancestors.

[sailorjojogames]

Soft Life Fashion- Africana CC mini LOOKBOOK series

L-> R

Hair / Earrings* / Necklace / Kente Top + Bottom 🇬🇭

Gele / Earrings / Ankara Dress

Hair / Ankara Outfits / Shoes

Many thanks to all the creative and talented cc creators 💕 who have been giving us Africana cc from day one

Happy Independence Day Ghana🇬🇭

@shopheritage @s4diversityproject @lilotea @sashima @joliebean @shysimblr

🔍@sailorjojosimsccfinds @ccfindsforthesims4 *in game

Watch Video

Part 1 ⏪⏩

Disclaimer: sorry I did not separate these African cc finds according to the different regions and cultures across the African continent. This series is more of an amalgamation of the rich African culture. Enjoy x.

Kente is a prestigious, handwoven fabric originating from the Akan and Ashanti people of Ghana, characterized by vibrant colors and intricate geometric patterns. Historically reserved for royalty, it is now a significant symbol of African heritage, pride, and unity, worn during special occasions, ceremonies, and graduations

ℹ️ Ankara ( Dutch wax) is a bright cotton fabric with bold, colorful designs inspired by Africa. It is popular across West African countries, especially in Benin 🇧🇯, Nigeria 🇳🇬, Senegal 🇸🇳, Ghana 🇬🇭, Ivory Coast 🇨🇮, Cameroon 🇨🇲, Gabon 🇬🇦

🌳 // Tumblr // Tiktok // Instagram // Twitter // Twitch // Youtube // gallery @sailorjojosims

[freestyles-of-ramo]

Pushing Tezca's character design to see if I need to make any adjustments.

[kemetic-dreams]

Kente comes from the word kenten, which means "basket" in the Asante dialect of the Akan language, referencing its basket-like pattern. In Ghana, the Akan ethnic group also refers to kente as nwentoma, meaning "woven cloth". Ashanti folklore includes a story where weavers invented kente by seeking to replicate the patterns of Anansi the spider.

West African cultures have been weaving textiles for thousands of years. Archaeological evidence for the oldest form of handloom weaving in Southern Ghana has been discovered at Begho and Bono Manso. Spindle whorls and dye holes discovered in these sites have been dated to the 14th–18th centuries. At Wenchi, spindle whorls have been dated to the 16th–17th centuries.

Asante oral tradition give the origins of Kente to an individual from Bonwire who introduced a loom among the Asante from Gyaman during the reign of Nana Oti Akenten in the 17th century. Another oral source states that it was developed indigenously by individuals from Bonwire during the reign of Osei Kofi Tutu I, who were inspired by the web designs of a spider. In the 18th century, Asantehene Opoku Ware I was documented by Danish agents Nog and L.F. Rømer, to have encouraged expansion in craft work. The Asantehene set up a factory during his reign to innovate weaving in the Ashanti Empire. This was the early stages of Kente production. The Danish agents described the operations of the factory as;

Some of his subjects were able to spin cotton, and they wove bands of it, three fingers wide. When twelve long strips were sewn together it became a “Pantjes” or sash. One strip might be white, the other one blue or sometimes the was a red among them...[Asantehene] Opoke [Ware] bought silk taffeta and materials of all colours. The artists unravelled them.

— Nog.