Kente Cloth Women's Ghana 55x41 Inch

The origins of the Kente cloth date back to 12th century Africa, in the country of Ghana and the Ashanti people. The cloth was known to be worn by Kings, Queens, and important figures of the state in Ghana’s society during ceremonial events and special occasions. The Kente cloth received its name from the term “kenten,” which means “basket,” because of the cloth’s woven design. Each Kente pattern was unique and had its own name. Weavers used vibrant colors in silk to create a beautiful weaving pattern with complex designs to portray the cloth’s profound philosophical meaning. Kente cloths represented the history, philosophies, ethics, and moral values of the Ghanaian culture. Today, Kente cloth is worn for many occasions such as graduations as academic stoles by many African American students during graduation ceremonies, the stoles presented to them individually during pre-commencement rituals called Donning of the Kente. They are also worn for Juneteenth, Kwanzaa, and other holidays as it is a means of connecting African Americans to their African roots.

We do not recommend laundering textiles and do not accept returns of textiles that have been laundered in any manner. Even dry cleaning is too much for some of these antique textiles. For some of them, a very gentle HAND washing (NEVER MACHINE, on any setting) in cool water with a very gentle detergent works, but even then, dyes may not be colorfast, and fabric may be less strong than it appears.

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