International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies (IJIRAS) ISSN: 2394-4404 Volume 3 Issue 8, July 2016 The Influence Of European Elements On Asante Kente Dickson Adom Samuel Kissi Baah Hannah Serwaa Bonsu Lecturer, Department of Industrial Arts, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Department of General Art Studies, Kumasi, Ghana Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana Abstract: The Asante Kente has undergone several changes due to the impacts of some European elements. These impacts are greatly seen in the tools and materials, production techniques, as well as concepts or ideologies in the design of the Asante textiles. There are both merits and demerits of these impacts of the European elements. It appears that the impacts of these European elements on the Asante Kente have not been critically examined as to whether they are reflecting negatively or positively on the rich Kente heritage of the Asantes of Ghana. The study was therefore conducted to examine the impacts of the European elements so as to advise on what aspects of the European elements that needs to be discontinued and the aspects to be promoted. The researchers gathered data from primary and secondary sources by way of personal interviews, administration of questionnaires, as well as observation. The results of the study have been presented under the following headings: Analysis of the research instruments, main findings (primary and secondary data), Interpreting the data, answering of research questions, conclusions and recommendations. This involved investigating and examining the extent to which the Asante Kente have been impacted by these European elements, thus, the positive impacts and how they have ensured the improvement of the Asante textile industry and the negative impacts and how they have adversely affected the Asante Kente industry. The study revealed the beneficiary aspects of the impacts and discusses how they can be harnessed for the development of the Kente industry in Ashanti. However, the study pointed out the negative aspects that would endanger the progress of the Asante Kente industry which have to be discontinued. Suggestions and recommendations on how to effectively implement these impacts from Europe to ensure the success and improvement of the Asante Kente industry have been fully discussed. Keywords: European elements, Motif, European Influences, Culture, Kente, Asantes I. INTRODUCTION image of a country. Clothing plays a very important role in the development and transmission of any culture in the world. Textiles play a very quintessential role in the life of man. Formally in Asante, the type of cloth that one put on helped Its vibrant aspect, clothing, makes life bearable and without it someone to know the age group, sex, social status etc of the life would be very uncomfortable. More importantly, the wearer (Osei, 2000; Adom, 2005, 2010). The Kente cloth of textile of a particular ethnic society aids in their identification the Asantes had symbolic woven patterns in them which had and distinction from other ethnic societies. Thus, the culture of cultural interpretations and significance that educated the a people is partially portrayed through their clothing they put younger generation of their culture. The situation has however on and/or the textiles they produce for sale. Akenoo (2002) changed. A preliminary survey conducted by the researchers concurs that aside from textiles giving identity to an ethnic in various parts of Ashanti revealed that most of the textile society or nation, clothing helps us in understanding the fabrics produced today and even some Kente clothes have beliefs, ideologies and accepted norms governing the lives of a woven patterns that do not carry any cultural or historical group of people. Textiles also advances and enhances the interpretation about the culture of the Asantes. This is largely Page 41 www.ijiras.com | Email: [email protected] International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies (IJIRAS) ISSN: 2394-4404 Volume 3 Issue 8, July 2016 due to the influence of some European elements such as what it contains as a whole. Preliminary interpretations of the European culture, European textile tools, materials and organized data were made. The data was classified or grouped machinery for textile production, European textile production into common categories or themes. Meanings and techniques, European textile products and concepts of design. interpretations were then sought from each of the categories This paper analyzed the rich Kente in Asante and the influence by identifying patterns. The data was then finally summarized. that the European elements have on it. It examines these influences from Europe and outlines both the negative and the positive influences. Remedies to curb these negative III. HISTORY OF WEAVING influences from Europe on the Kente done in Ashanti today have been suggested. Suggestions have also been given to Akwaboa (1989) as cited in Adom (2010) traces the Kente producers on how they can utilize the positive aspects history of weaving to the early man’s usage of the weaving of the European elements so as to improve and enhance the processes such as criss-crossing and intertwining twigs, reeds Kente produced in Ashanti today. and rushes to produce clothes. Later, as man became acquainted with other fibres and animal hairs, he employed these also in the production of his textile clothes. Throughout II. METHODOLOGY the centuries of evolution that followed, the spindle and the loom were developed – the former in the attempt to obtain a The research design employed by the researchers in longer continuous thread from the fibres and animal hairs and carrying out the research was the qualitative research design. the later as a stable fixtures on which to attach threads. The researchers used this research approach to help him Commenting on how the early man discovered the art of collect an extensive amount of verbal data from a small weaving, Corbman (1983) said the primitive people might number of participants through personal interview, Close- have discovered the art of weaving by observing interlaced ended questionnaire and participant observation (West, 1981). grasses and twigs in the nest of birds, and thus might have The collected data was organized into small forms that give discovered how they could make clothing for themselves, or coherence. Verbal descriptions were used to portray the they may have seen rushes naturally interlacing as they grew. situation studied. Interpretative narratives were constructed Today, looms are the main devices used for executing from the data to capture the complexity of the phenomena weaving. The types of looms vary from one area to the other under study (Leedy & Ormrod, 2005). The descriptive rather than from century to century. The ancient Greeks research method was used for the study. The researchers seemed to prefer the same type of upright loom on which one decided to use the elements of this research method to assist weaves from top to bottom, as did some North American, him vividly describe the chain of events about the influence of Indian tribes and the early Scandinavians. Egyptian weavers of European elements on Asante Kente witnessed at the study about 2500BC used another type of upright and vertical loom centres thus, Bonwire and Kumasi Cultural Centre to enable similar to that of later Persians, and also a horizontal loom, him decipher the influence of European elements on the such as were used by the Incas and are still used today in Asante Kente. This accounted for the use of the descriptive Mexico, Gautamala, and Peru. Commenting on the looms study for the research. The population for the study was Kente discovered in Sub-Sahara Africa, Picton and Mack (1979) said weavers at the study centre thus Bonwire and Kumasi Cultural that almost all the different kinds of looms discovered have Centre. Purposive sampling was implemented for the selection their parallels elsewhere. To them, the mere comparison of of the sample for the study. Fifteen skilled masters and Thirty- technicalities is relatively fruitless as cultural traits tend to five apprentices were deliberately selected and interviewed move as part of a package rather than in isolation. They because they were seen to help immensely in realizing the suggested that a careful comparative study of the terminology objectives laid out for the study (Kumekpor, 2002). Participant employed by different people within the border context of observations, personal and structured interviews as well as textile production is the only reliable method of investigation. close-ended questionnaire were the main instrumentations that Whatever loom that was employed, the principle remained the were used for soliciting the required data for the study. The same – spacing and interlocking a weft or horizontal thread researchers also took part in the activities witnessed at through a stationary warp or vertical threads. Although fabric Bonwire and the Kumasi Cultural Centre such as laying of of the utmost beauty and sheerness were woven even in the warp yarns, preparation of weft, selection of tools and days of the ancients, weaving tools supplies were in a constant materials as well as creation of the weave patterns. This aided process of refinement in order to enhance further the finished him in gleaning detailed information about the influence of product. Europe, until the early renaissance depended on European elements on the Asante Kente. Also, the researchers traders and crusaders to bring her the elaborate textiles from used the structured form of interview in addition to the the far and Near East. Then the Italian weavers mastered the participant observation to assist him get the exact data to help intricate weaves and skills of the orient as did eventually the him in answering the research questions for the study. The French, Spanish and English so that they could make their researchers implemented the data analysis spiral that employs own velvets, damask and brocades.