Emblematic Interpretation of the Designs of Selected Kente Fabrics among Ashanti People of Ghana

Ghana is a country which is located in the West of the African continent. The Ghanaians have a rich cultural heritage that they cherish most. This cultural heritage could be seen through the way they dress during occasions such as funerals, weddings, festivals, durbars and naming ceremonies. Some of the fabrics that people wear during these occasions are Kente cloths, “nteimu” and “kuntukuni” cloths (clothes stamped with locally prepared dyes). The Kente, “nteimu” and “kuntukuni” are locally produced by the people of Bonwire, Adawonmase and Ntonso. Although these clothes have some special designs and motifs that make them unique and aesthetically pleasing, they have not been effectively and comprehensively researched. This study intends to identify and describe the various designs and motifs in these fabrics, and then give the philosophical meanings associated with the designs and the motifs in them. The descriptive research design which is under the qualitative research approach was espoused to accomplish the goal and purpose of the study. In all, 20 woven Kente fabrics were sampled for the study using a purposive sampling technique. Of these, 5 were used for festival celebrations, 5 for marriage ceremonies, 5 for funeral celebrations and 5 for durbars and parties. The primary data was collected using interviews, observations and opinionnaire. The results showed that designs and motifs which are seen in the Kente cloths have philosophical meaning that can help one to understand his or her culture. In addition, some of the motifs and designs used to produce the various fabrics exhibit the creative abilities of our forefathers and their belief system. Also, the research revealed that some of the designs and motifs are used for prestigious and aesthetic purposes.