An Asante Cloth, "kente"

Wrap robe, "kente Asante, Ghana ohne Sockel / without base Cotton. W 225 cm. L 345 cm. Provenance: - Galerie Walu, Zurich. - Swiss private collection, Schwyz (2013). The colorful kente envelope shawls consist of up to more than 20 separately woven and sewn together strips. They were woven exclusively by men, but also worn by women. As clothing, they were personal possessions and thus an outward sign of prestige, rank and belonging. Because of their value, which is calculated from the cost of materials, labor and subjective beauty, they were also used as a medium of exchange, a gift and a store of value. Certain colors, number of bands and motifs are reserved for certain ranks and ceremonies. The seemingly uniform geometric motifs worked into the narrow band weaves have names that can be read by initiates similar to pictograms. Further reading: Ross, Doran (1998). Wrapped in Pride. Los Angeles: Fowler Museum of Cultural History. CHF 200 / 400 EUR 200 / 400