Archive for August, 2005
Oakland Museum of California to host Ghanaian Kente cloth exhibition
Ghanaian Kente cloth is a traditional dress of kings, and is more than just a cloth, used not only for its beauty, but also for its symbolic significance. It is a visual representation of history, philosophy, ethics, oral literature, religious belief, social values and political thought. There are gender differences in color preferences, dictated by tradition, individual aesthetic taste and by spirit of the occasion. Originally, its use was reserved for royalty and limited to special social and sacred functions. Though more widely worn, its prestigious status has been maintained, and the authentic forms of the cloth are still regarded as a symbol of social prestige, nobility and a sense of cultural sophistication. Read the rest of this entry »