Weave me a rainbow

We went to the Kente Festival in Volta Region this weekend (wanting to do something for what is Labor Day weekend in the U.S., the last holiday weekend of summer). Kente is the woven cloth which came to Ghana, I believe from the Venetians (or maybe I mis-heard and it was the Phoenicians, which would make my friend, May, very happy, since she never stops telling me that her ancestors, the Phoenicians invented “trade”) perhaps as early as the 16th century. In Ghana, it originated in Volta Region, at the far eastern side of the country, bordering both Togo and Lake Volta, where Ghana gets all its electricity. Many weavers emigrated to Ashanti Region, which has become better known, although many might argue the Volta kente has older, more traditional designs. However, not all designs are old. Kente artisans take pride in their new original designs, as well, presenting them at international weaving conventions and to visitors to their shops.

One weaver even made a full-size portrait of the Ghanaian president, who has very broad support in Volta Region, as well as the American president, who also has very broad support throughout Africa. That one was based on a photo in the daily newspaper from the president's visit to Ghana last month.

Anyway, cloth is woven in about 5” strips – some can be very long, with the ends of the long strings (what do I know about weaving?) held taut by a "sled" of large rocks or concrete blocks way out in front of the weaver. As it is woven, the cloth is rolled onto a collection spindle and the sled slides gradually toward the weaver. Weaving seems to me an undertaking begging for a zen mentality, as I couldn’t imagine looking way out at the sled and knowing I had that much more weaving to go – only to finish and start another strip from scratch. One must just focus instead on the steady click and slide of the next line and the rhythm of hands and feet in motion.




The finished strips are used individually, or sewn together into various sized cloths. These can be worn for ceremonial occasions or for many other uses, including home décor. Popular designs are also printed onto cotton cloth for everyday use – and these patterns are often “knocked off” by Chinese textile manufacturers, imported, and sold at undercutting prices as I’ve mentioned before.

It was a very nice weekend with way too much shopping, relaxing time at the hotel pool, and three meals of french fries. Everything else on the hotel menu seemed to be "finished".
XO