The Kente Weavers of Ghana

Cohen, J.

doi:10.1080/14759756.2018.1473999

Cited by 11 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…As times are changing, so are the minds of people with regards to the methods used to produce certain products (Adom et al, 2016). As people are focusing more on speed and being able to produce the Kente cloth (traditional heritage material) in a shorter time (Ball, 1997;Asmah et al, 2015), the weavers of Bonwire, Ghana, have decided to continue on with their tradition (Smulders Cohen, 2019); although it takes time, it is a luxury product that requires attention and great detail.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bonwire is located in Western Ghana (in the Ashanti Region), and is the birthplace of Kente production, with the community having been established over 300 years ago (Lartey, 2014;Asmah et al, 2015;Mawere and Mubaya, 2016;Smulders Cohen, 2019). The community itself consists of more than 800 houses and is home to approximately 2000 weavers, all of whom are involved in the Kente creation process.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Weaving in Bonwire is a predominantly male trade that is supported by females in the early and late stages of the production process. To explain, women, in the past, have processed and dyed yarns in order to be woven into the Kente strips, as well as sell the finished products on the market (Boateng and Narayan, 2017;Smulders Cohen, 2019). In more recent years, yarns are not dyed and spun by women anymore but are rather outsourced due to the lack of care given to the weaving industry and high demand for imitated textiles (Boateng, 2011;Lartey 2014, Boateng andNarayan, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Social sustainability emerges as a potential theme, as it is the aspect of using what is necessary to sustain life and social wellbeing within a community (Paris, 2020), and this is achieved through the Kente textiles that are being produced in Bonwire (Fening, 2006;Boateng and Narayan, 2017;Smulders Cohen, 2019). It plays a crucial role in the community as the weavers build their livelihood on the textiles they produce (Boateng, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The weaving process is their (weavers) means and source of income to take care of themselves and their families (Smulders Cohen, 2019). Yet, in the 21st century, as was indicated, this source of income and security is threatened by globalisation and modernisation, partially through the trade liberalisation law, which was established in the 1980s, which caused a decline in textile production within communities such as Bonwire being highly impacted by this trade law (Boateng, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

My Loom and Me: The Role of the Handloom in a Weaver’s Identity Creation

Nunoo

Parker-Strak

Blázquez

et al. 2021

Sustainable Textiles: Production, Processing, Manufacturing &Amp; Chemistry

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Handloom artistry dates back to the 17 th century in Africa. In Ghana, the handloom is used to produce the traditional Kente textiles, which form part of the country's identity. This research focuses on Bonwire, Ghana a weaving community in the Ashanti region, that is specialised in the weaving of the Kente textile. However, modernisation and globalisation are seemingly threatening this industry, as a new trade law allowed imports of printed Kenteinspired textiles from Europe, America and Asia. This chapter focuses on the artisans involved in the handweaving process of the Ghanaian Kente textiles, by investigating the role of the handloom on the identity of the weavers. Weaving with a handloom has a long-standing tradition in Bonwire, thus, exploring the implications of modernisation and globalization on this traditional trade and subsequently on the identity of the weavers will be explored. This qualitative enquiry draws on 20 semi-structured interviews with artisans involved in the Kente weaving process, to explore the role of the handloom on their identity. Initial findings highlight that the art of using the handloom is infused into the culture of the weavers of Bonwire. The weavers have taken the handloom to represent a part of their identity, in that without the handloom, it will appear as though they have no identity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

My Loom and Me: The Role of the Handloom in a Weaver’s Identity Creation

Nunoo

Parker-Strak

Blázquez

et al. 2021

Sustainable Textiles: Production, Processing, Manufacturing &Amp; Chemistry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Sustainable Supply Chain Process of the Luxury Kente Textile: Introducing Heritage into the Sustainability Framework

Nunoo

2022

Palgrave Advances in Luxury

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Kente Weaving Among Akan and Ewe Peoples of Ghana: A Gender-Based Insight into Embedded Intangible Cultural Heritage and Implications for the Implementation of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention

Oguamanam,

Yeboah-Appiah

2024

Int J Cult Prop

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The UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage is designed to secure the protection of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) worldwide.1 The Convention aims to safeguard and ensure respect for ICH of communities, groups, and persons and promote awareness of their significance and international protection in that regard.2 The Convention outlines intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in terms of oral traditions and expressions, including, but not limited to, epics, tales, and stories, and performing arts categories such as music, song, dance, puppetry, and theatre. Other forms of ICH under the Convention include social practices, rituals, and festive events. In its inherently nuanced nature, ICH also includes knowledge and practices relating to nature and the universe. In these categories are folk medicines, folk astronomy, and various natural phenomena. ICH’s wide and nuanced ambit encompasses traditional craftsmanship as well as the sites and spaces in which culturally significant activities and events occur.3 ICH forms part of the daily life and lived realities of people in virtually all parts of the world. It is the beliefs and perspectives, ephemeral performances, and events that are not tangible objects of culture, such as monuments or paintings. ICH is often described as the underlying “spirit” of a cultural group,4 which cannot be detailed in all subtleties.

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The Kente Weavers of Ghana

Cited by 11 publications

References 0 publications

My Loom and Me: The Role of the Handloom in a Weaver’s Identity Creation

My Loom and Me: The Role of the Handloom in a Weaver’s Identity Creation

Sustainable Supply Chain Process of the Luxury Kente Textile: Introducing Heritage into the Sustainability Framework

Kente Weaving Among Akan and Ewe Peoples of Ghana: A Gender-Based Insight into Embedded Intangible Cultural Heritage and Implications for the Implementation of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention

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