The Fabric of Africa

We have been fascinated with the different fabrics worn by the African people. They are bright, artistic, and the majority are hand dyed or woven as shown below in Elder Brown's photo post. We've taken a lot of pictures of the women in their dresses because they are all so unique. The cloth featured here is Kente cloth with this description taken from a book by the man, Ahiagble Bob Dennis, whose factory we visited. "Kente cloth is a traditional Ghanaian textile produced by Ewe and Ashanti weavers. It is worn on special occasions by both men and women to display the wearer's social status, wealth and dignity. Bright colours, elaborate weft designs and intricate borders distinguish kente from other narrow loom textiles produced in West Africa." Mr. Dennis is a master weaver and learned the trade from his father. His fascination with weaving began at a young age and he has learned that, just as in life, one thread is weak, while threads woven together are strong. Sounds like a pretty good philosophy; many things can be learned about life while we do our daily tasks. As the Sr. Missionary Couples leave Ghana, they are given a Kente banner with their name, mission, and date of service woven into the cloth. It is a treasured keepsake.