Most Popular Fabrics In Ghana And Thier History

Fabrics play a domicile part in every Ghanaian lifestyle. In Ghana fabrics are everything, it is used during occasions like festivals, naming ceremonies, funerals, wedding/marriage ceremonies, church, mosque, etc. Most Ghana fabrics are indigenous and some are also brought by foreign merchants, especially the Europeans. 

One interesting fact about Kente is that Kwame Nkrumah commissioned a kente cloth piece from master kente weaver A.E. Asare, which hung outside the United Nations General Assembly building in 1960. It was replaced by a new design — Adwene Asa meaning "consensus has been reached" — woven by Asare's son Kwasi Asare in 1995.

Today we are going to unleash some of the most popular fabrics in Ghana. Ghanaian popular fabrics all have an iota of history behind it, join me as we explore these most popular fabrics in Ghana and their history behind it together. 

Kente or Kete

Various Kente clothes and colors

Kente is no doubt the most popular fabric in Ghana and other parts of the world. The word Kente comes from "kete or "kenten", which means basket because of its basket woven. The cloth is also known as “nwentoma” in Akan weaving, clothes in English language, Kete in Ewe, the two dominant producers of Kente in Ghana. 

Kente is a type of handwoven silk yarn and cotton fabric made of interwoven cloth strips and is native to the Akan ethnic group of Ghana and the Ewe's of the Volta Region in the Eastern part of Ghana.

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah wearing Kente

Not only Kente is a popular fabric among the Akans but all the tribes or ethnic groups in Ghana. It is widely used by the people of Cote d’Ivoire as well. What makes Kente amazing fabric is the symbolism of the colors, each holds a unique way of passing messages through the signs and symbols. Kente fabric has Adinkra symbols which also help the cloth convey messages. 

Example

• Gold – Royalty, wealth, high status, glory, and spiritual purity

• Silver – Serenity, purity, joy; associated with the moon

• Grey – Healing and cleansing rituals

• Black – Maturation and intensified spiritual energy

• White – purification, sanctification rites, and festive occasions

• Yellow – Preciousness, royalty, wealth, fertility, and beauty

• Red – Political and spiritual moods; bloodshed; sacrificial rites and death

• Pink – Female essence of life; a mild, gentle aspect of red

• Purple – Feminine aspects of life; usually worn by women

• Maroon – The color of Mother Earth; associated with healing

• Green – Vegetation, planting, harvesting, growth, and spiritual renewal

• Blue – Peacefulness, harmony, and love

Brief History

In Ghanaian (Ashanti) folklore, it is said to be invented by weavers trying to replicate the patterns of the spider. One afternoon, two brothers from a village in Ashanti Region called Bonwire were hunting when they suddenly came across a spider spinning a web. The brothers were amazed at the beauty and the uniqueness of the web. 

Upon returning, they made the first kente cloth out of black and white fibers from a raffia tree. When the special cloth was presented to the first ruler of the Asante Empire, Asantehene Osei Tutu I, he named it kenten, which means basket. 

Ankara/ African Wax Prints/Holland Wax

Ankara Ghana/Holland fabrics

Ankara is also known as African wax print, these prints are now printed in Ghana and China. Ghana is one of the leading countries in the production of African print fabric or Ankara. 

Two major companies that produce these fabrics in Ghana are the Ghana Textiles Printers (GTP), and Akosombo Textiles Limited (ATL). In Ghana, every Ankara wax fabric has a name behind the symbols, and just like Kente, it mirrors various African cultures and traditions during occasions. 

Many of the designs found on the fabrics portray events, and adages, and convey messages. Some of the clothes also have local names such as 'Serwa Akoto', ‘Yaw Donkor’,  'Owuo Atwedie' ‘Bosu’, ‘Ama Serwaa’, ‘Efie mmosea’ etc.

Brief History

During the Dutch invasion of Indonesia in the 1800s, Dutch merchants who came into contact with the native decided to reproduce the fabric mechanically to reduce production costs and to make easy money. Unfortunately, prints were not well received. 

In search of another place to sell their merchandise, they decided to try selling it in Africa where it immediately became popular due to the similarities in the inscriptions. With time the fabric became integrated into African culture, and the designs began to reflect African beliefs and culture.

Adinkra Clothes

Authentic Adinkra cloth

Adinkra means "goodbye or farewell" in the English language. This fabric is widely used in Ghana and the people of the Ivory Coast. What makes Adinkra magnificent is the symbol that conveys meaningful messages during occasions, Each symbol has its own meaning.

Adinkra is not only popular on clothes but also used as inscriptions in palaces, courts, houses, walls, pottery, stools, etc. Because of its name, it is mostly worn during funerals especially funerals of a person who is holding a higher status. The clothes were traditionally made for royalty to wear at religious ceremonies. 

Brief History

The cloth originated from a war between the Ashanti and the Gyaaman in the Bono empire at the beginning of the 19th century. The Gyaaman kingdom which was part of the Akans went to war with the Ashanti kingdom, amid the war, the Gyaaman king Nana Kwadwo Agyeman Adinkra was killed. 

His adinkra robe was taken by Nana Osei Bonsu-Panyin, the Asante Hene (King), as a trophy. With the robe came the knowledge of the special ink used in the printing process and the process of stamping the designs onto cotton cloth. Other sources also said the Ashanti captured Nana Adinkra's son who was called Apau Adinkra to teach them how to make Adinkra clothes.

Fugu/ Batakari

Fugu or batakari

Another popular authentic fabric in Ghana is Fugu, this cloth is widely used by the people of Northern Ghana, and its hand weaved just like Kente. It is made from cotton wool and is mostly made in Tamale, Bolgatanga, Doboya, Yendi, and Wa.

Fugu has symbols and embroidery designs that portray events, adages, and convey messages. In Ghana, the best-known fugu is "Daboya" meaning, “our brother is better than us”. These fugus are famous for their beauty, patterns, colors, motifs, artistic appearance, and texture.

The fabric is also used for spiritual purposes as well as linguistic purposes. For example, when the cap is worn upright, it means no chief has a higher status than the one wearing it. When it is turned in the left direction, it means one is from a royal family and when it is turned backward it means one has followers. 

Finally, when it is pointed forward, it indicates that no one is behind the wearer and this is usually worn by warriors. It is also used as a wardress with amulets which is believed to protect the one wearing it. Wearing Fugu in Ghana means a higher status, a chief, a fetish priest, or a shaman.

Brief History

Fugu means cloth in the Moshie/Mossi language who migrated from Burkina Faso and settled in the northern part of Ghana. The cloth is also said to be originated from the Hausas who came from northern Nigeria. 

The Moshies or Mossi people were the ones who brought this fabric to Ghana. It is also known as Bingba or Batakari in other parts of Ghana. In northern Ghana, the women use the local cotton to make treads, which were woven as fugu for both men and women.

Batik, Tie, And Dye

Batik, tie, and dye clothes

Batik is the process of resisting fabric from taking color in the dyeing process by the use of wax. Tie and Dye, however, involves folding, twisting, pleating, or crumpling fabric or a garment and binding it with string or rubber bands, and then applying various dyes to various sections. 

Batik, Tie, and dye are very popular Ghanaian fabrics amongst the diasporans, Rastafarians, tourists, and the Ghanaian populace. According to sources, this art has been around for more than 2,000 years. 

Batik, tie, and dye can be found in most of the arts and crafts or textile shops in Ghana and comes with unique designs and symbols such as the Adinkra symbols, animism, nature, and many more.

Brief History

The art first originated in Indonesia in the 13th century before making its way to China in the 17th century. Afterward, the Europeans introduced the brightly-colored patterns of batik to their own and other cultures. 

The clothes were introduced in Ghana in the 19th century after English and Dutch merchants introduced the Indonesian batik to Africa, it rekindled interest in the tie & die fabric and popularised the batik in Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, and Ghana. 

The Angelina/Dashiki Fabrics

Angelina clothes

This fabric is also making its way into the popular fabrics in Ghana. It is widely used by all genders and children. For some years now, this fabric has seen patronage among well-known people in Ghana, Africa, and the world. 

The Angelina cloth is made in Ghana and manufactured by Vlisco. The cloth is mostly worn for any occasion because it is made in different colors.

Brief History

According to Vlisco, the popularity of the print coincided with the release of the hit song “Angelina” by legendary Ghanaian band “The Sweet Talks”.
People began referring to the printed fabric as ‘Angelina’. it is also famously worn by famous singer Mariam Makeba so some African countries like Congo and Kenya call it by the name Makeba and other native names.