EXPRESSIONS ABOUT KENTE (cont'd)
"It is really beautiful when you see a lot of Ghanaians in kente.
In the holiest celebration in Rome all the Ghanaians put on kente.
At St. Peters as they appeared there was an up-roar and everybody clapped because it was colourful, it was beautiful.
The Pope even commented, “This is beautiful. Clap for Ghanaians.” " --- Rev. John Oppong-Baah
"Kente brings a rich history with it, and sense of pride and honor. I tend to walk around more proudly.
I think I stand more erect. When I wear my kente coat, you know how big and tall I feel." --- Newark Mayor Sharpe James
" I think we as people of African origin must grab on to kente in a very spiritual way.
This is what is going to maintain its value both as a material and as a cultural symbol." --- Kabu Okai-Davies
"Kente reminds me of where I come from. It says I am royalty. We come from kings and queens, not the slavery bit we all come to know." --- Marita McEntyre
History of the Cloth (cont'd)
They perfected their first weaving system named Ayaasentoma using thin fiber. They developed a second system called Asasentoma using cotton yarn. The third system of weaving developed was Nsaduasotoma using silk or cotton. With reference to the discovery of the weaving technology, it occurred to the people of Bonwire to use combination of European silk and cotton in weaving. It worked. The cloth was marvelously strong. It gave the Kente cloth a new appearance like a woven basket. The newly woven cloth was shown to Bonwire chief, Nana Bobie Ansa I who gave it to the Asante King, Nana Osei Tutu I.
The kente awe inspiring combination of colors and patterns with prominent names has kept ride at full speed with the activity of Bonwire artistic judgment. Some Kente designs are derived from important names and events such as Fathia Fata Nkrumah, a pattern named after the wife of the first President of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Baakofo mmu oman, ‘one person does not rule alone’. mmaa da, ‘never has such a design been made before’. Adwinasa means all artistic designs have been exhausted.
Today, Kente has become a universal fabric with varieties of designs and production being advanced to meet miscellaneous tasks and uses.