Dictionary

Kente is one of the most recognizable fabrics of the African textiles. Originating from Ghana, locally the fabric is known as “Nwentoma”, which means “woven cloth“. The name “Kente” itself is derived from the word “Kenten” which means “basket”, due to its basket-like pattern.

The first Kente cloth used to be made from raffia, but soon evolved into an interwoven cloth made from silk and cotton fabric. Initially, the technology of those times allowed to produce Kente cloth only in black and white colors, however later local artisans learned how to shave off bark from the other trees and grind the plants’ seeds, so Kente got its modern red, green and yellow dyes then.