Wrapper(detail)
Ewe peoples, Ghana
Cotton, rayon
National Museum of African Art, National Museum of Natural History, purchased with funds provided by the Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, 1983-85, EJ10702

Ewe kente

Kente is made by the Asante and Ewe peoples and is the best known of all African textiles. Kente comes from the word kenten, which means "basket." The Ewe peoples also refer to kente as avó or edó.

Ewe kente is often identified by its figurative motifs. The borders on this cloth are called susuvó, the Ewe equivalent of the Asante adweneasa, "my skill is exhausted." This cloth was woven by E. Simpi in 1972.

    1     2     3     4     5    

Click on the highlighted words to hear their pronunciation