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Home , African textiles, Kente cloth

AFRICAN KENTE, ADINKRA & KORHOGO

“Our lives are woven together like the threads on a . One thread is very weak. Threads woven together are strong.”

Grades 3-5 PowerPoint Lesson Plan

OBJECTIVES

HISTORY: Places an artwork in its art historical context. Students will examine the use of textiles to express ideas, beliefs or stories created by West African peoples.

CRITICISM: Informed talk about art. Students will be able to identify the use of line that creates patterns in Adinkra cloth and discuss the symbolism of the designs used.

AESTHETICS: Questions the nature, value and beauty of art. Students will discuss the value of textiles as art even though they are created to be worn.

PRODUCTION: Creating art. Students will create an -inspired using line to create pattern.

VOCABULARY

Note to volunteers The vocabulary words will be in bold italics throughout the lesson. They will be defined within the text of the lesson and do not need to be presented separately. The definitions included under this section of the lesson are very detailed and intended for adults.

Line: the path of a moving dot.

Pattern: the repeated placement of a basic unit, called a motif (this could be created with a shape, line, texture, or color). In general, pattern has two main functions in art and design; it provides visual enrichment and interest, and it helps unify a composition or an area of a composition.

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Symbol: a design or object, which represents an idea, concept, or product.

Textile: or cloth.

INTRODUCTION

Can anyone tell me what a proverb is? There are some that you may have heard before like, “You can’t judge a book by its cover” or “The early bird catches the worm”. Can you think of any others? How about – “Better late than never.” “Better safe than sorry.” “Finders keepers, losers weepers.”

But what do proverbs really mean? Let’s think about “You can’t judge a book by its cover”.

Can you tell whether or not the story in a book is good just by looking at the cover? (No.) You have to open it up and read it. Proverbs are wise sayings that try to teach us something. But they also mean more than they say. Judging a book by its cover also means you cannot always tell about people or things just by the way they look. You have to get to know them to find out about them before you decide if you like them or not.

The people who live in also have their own proverbs and stories that they have told for hundreds of years. Not only that, but they use symbols that have their own special meanings just like proverbs. They use these symbols to decorate household objects, their clothes, buses and trucks, up above doorways, or just about anywhere you look. The textiles or fabrics they make are also full of symbols. People all over Africa make textiles. We are going to learn about just three different kinds of textiles made by people living West Africa.

HISTORY

KENTE CLOTH, SUB CHIEF WEARING KENTE ROBE, 1972 The Asante (ah-SAHn-tay) people who live in Ghana have always shared ideas, things they believe in, and messages through the designs in their clothing. They make two common types of textiles. This first one we are going to see today is called . Say ‘Kente’ with me. Repeat KEN–tay. This is a photograph of a chief who is wearing a robe made of Kente cloth.

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STRIPS OF KENTE CLOTH BEING WOVEN Kente cloth is a brightly woven textile with many different striped patterns. It is woven in narrow strips (3 ½” wide) by the men in the village and then sewn together to create a large cloth.

If we were to run our hands over this woven textile we would be able to feel its texture. Who can tell me what texture means? (Texture is the way things feel when you touch them.)

STRIPS OF KENTE CLOTH BEING SEWN TOGETHER Kente cloth used to be worn only by the royal family members of the tribe. It was a symbol of the royal family. Symbols are designs that have a meaning attached to them. We have symbols in our culture too.

1. What do you think of when you see a place to eat with two golden arches? (McDonalds.) 2. If you see a “swoosh” on a pair of shoes or tee shirt what does it stand for? (Nike.) 3. What does a red octagon shaped sign mean? (Stop.) 4. Can you think of any other symbols? (Male and female figures for restrooms, wheelchair for handicap accessibility, multicolored apple for apple computers, walk and wait symbols in a crosswalk, etc.)

Today, Kente cloth may be worn by any of the people. It is expensive and usually saved for special occasions like weddings, festivals and ceremonies. You can see the narrow strips of fabric being sewn together in this photograph.

FYI The information contained in a box in this lesson is added for the adult volunteer’s enrichment. Generally, the information is not intended for inclusion in the classroom presentation. However, if appropriate, you may wish to present some of this information to the students.

Adinkra symbols are named after an king who suffered a dismal fate in the early 19th century. According to legend, King Adinkra made a replica of the sacred , the seat of power, which served as a thone for Ashanti royalty. The Golden Stool, which had miraculously descended from the sky, was carved with intricate symbols and patterns. King Adinkra was captured and beheaded by the Ashanti for his sacrilege, and the craftspeople were later inspired to copy the symbols from the Golden Stool and from King Adinkra’s royal garments onto fabric.

ELDERS AND SUB CHIEF IN ADINKRA STAMPED CLOTH ROBES 1972 The second kind of textile made by the Asante (ah-SAHN-tay) people is called Adinkra. Say “Adinkra” with me. The people in this picture are important rulers in their village and are wearing Adinkra stamped robes. The symbols and designs in the textiles remind the people of stories or ideas, which have special meaning.

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If the Asante king wanted to show he was not afraid of anything he would choose a fern leaf design or symbol for his clothing. For the Asante, the fern is a symbol of courage.

ADINKRA CLOTH WITH CALABASH STAMPS 1969 Adinkra cloth is woven into long strips and sometimes it is dyed different colors. It is then stretched onto a printing board. The long straight lines are made by dipping a comb into dye and dragging it to make long lines. Young men stamp the symbols on the cloth filling each rectangle with repeats of the same shapes and lines that create patterns. The strips are then sewn together with brightly colored thread in a repeated pattern. Where can you see repeated shapes or lines that create patterns in this textile? (The lines create patterns. The lines of the crosses, “apples”, waves and swirls all create different patterns.)

ADINKRA CLOTH FROM KUMASI, HOPE DESIGN WITH STAMP The stamps used to print the designs are made from calabash. Calabash is a kind of gourd, like a pumpkin or watermelon with a thick hard shell. The design is carved out a piece of the shell and a stick is added for a handle. Each carved symbol has its own meaning.

The symbol on this stamp means “welcome.” There are too many symbols to name but they stand for things like strength, hope, two good friends, good fortune and truth. Young women make the ink from the bark of a tree (Badie tree) and the textile is stamped with the design. It is put out in the sun to dry.

CRITICISM

ADINKRA CLOTH, FROM KUMASI, BARK BASED DYED This is Adinkra cloth created by the Asante people. Adinkra means “saying good- bye to one another when parting.” The textile was traditionally worn at funerals. Today Adinkra cloth is worn for many occasions. Take a minute to look for shapes and lines that have been repeated in this textile to create patterns.

Sensory Properties: What do you see? 1. What types of lines can you see in this textile? (Mostly straight, vary in width, some curved lines.) 2. What shapes do the lines create? (Crosses, diamonds, rectangles, “apples”, swirls, etc.) 3. Shapes can usually be described one of two ways. Either they are mostly geometric like circles, squares, rectangles or diamonds, or they are organic shapes. Organic shapes are irregular, curving, random shapes like those found in nature – the shape a puddle of spilt milk makes is an

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organic shape. Would you say the shapes and lines in this design are mostly geometric or organic? (Geometric.)

Formal Properties: How is it arranged? 1. Repeated shapes or lines in an artwork create patterns. Show where you see repeated shapes or lines that make patterns. (Patterns of lines, diamonds, cross-hatchings, swirls, “apples”, waves, etc.) 2. How are the patterns arranged? Are the shapes spaced the same, are they in rows or irregular, are they different from one another or alike? (In rows of rectangles or blocks.)

Technical Properties: What media, tools and techniques were used? 1. What materials and tools do you think were used to create this Adinkra cloth? (Cotton fabric, dye or ink, stamps, combs for straight lines, needles, loom to make the cloth.)

Expressive Properties: What mood or idea does it express? 1. The beautiful textiles of Africa originated for ceremonies and rituals of everyday life. Artists in a village all work together to produce these textiles - each with their own job to do. These skills have been handed down from generation to generation.

The people of one village have said: “Our lives are woven together like the threads on a loom. One thread is very weak. Threads woven together are strong.”

What do you think they mean by this?

AESTHETIC

Note to volunteers These questions are meant to be open-ended; there is no right or wrong answer.

Do you think that textiles like this can be called art when they are made to be worn as clothing? Why or why not?

HISTORY (cont.)

KORHOGO CLOTH 20TH CENTURY This next textile is made by the Senufo people who live in the north part of the Ivory Coast. These people are farmers and strongly believe in invisible spirits hidden in nature. They spin and weave their own cloth, which they decorate with

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pictures of the animal spirits. It is called Korhogo cloth. Say that with me. “Korhogo cloth”.

KORHOGO CLOTH 20TH CENTURY The artist who makes this cloth draws an outline of an animal with a knife that has been dipped in dye. (Dye is like a permanent ink). He will then trace back over it to make the lines darker and bolder. The designs are usually birds, snakes, fish, frogs, crocodiles or turtles. Each animal holds a special meaning to the people. Geometric shapes and lines are used to decorate the animals. Geometric shapes would be shapes like squares, circles, triangles and diamonds.

KORHOGO CLOTH 20TH CENTURY A long time ago these designs might have been an ancient language, but not any longer. They are symbols, communicating messages through the drawings. Some may even represent a story or proverb. (Remember a proverb is a saying that tries to teach us something like, ‘the early bird catches the worm’.)

This cloth was traditionally made into clothes for hunting or ceremonies. The people believe their drawings have special meaning and help to protect them and bring them good luck.

There are hundreds of symbols used to make Adinkra and Korhogo cloth, each having a special meaning. The beautiful textiles of Africa were first made for ceremonies and rituals but today are being worn by people for many different occasions.

PRODUCTION

Korhogo Cloth by the Senufo People

Criteria: Students will create an animal drawing using line to create patterns in the style of Korhogo cloth.

Materials: 9” x 12” piece of cloth for each student (heavy weight paper may also be used) Animal stencils (frog, lizard, bird, snake, turtle) Sharpie black markers – fine and thick tip, at least one per student Acrylic washes – magenta, teal, yellow, in plastic pop bottle or other container Small plastic paint cups for wash Watercolor or sponge brushes – two per color

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Tape and mat board if taping fabric down to work

Pre-Production: 1. Cut fabric with rotary cutter to desired size. 2. Mix washes – heavily dilute paint in water. Store extra in large container.

Instructions: 1. Each student will need: mat board and tape if taping fabric down. Heavier fabrics may not need taping. (Light weight will need taping). A sharpie, animal stencil and access to washes and brushes will be needed. 2. Show students a sample of a finished project. Demonstrate how to trace around the stencil using a sharpie pen, holding the stencil as you trace around it. Remove the stencil, add eyes, and divide the outline into some sections if desired. 3. Begin filling the stencil with geometric designs. Students are not limited to squares, triangles and circles. Show them some examples of possible shapes, lines, curls, textures (crosshatch, stippling etc.) that can be used to create patterns. 4. Encourage students to use a variety of line widths. Some of the shapes can also be filled in. Remind them not to hold their pen in one place too long, as it will spread and bleed on the fabric. 5. Show students how to fringe and sign their fabric once they are done with their designs. Pulling only a few threads from each side of the fabric will give a fringed look. 6. Last, either using a wash station or with washes at each table group, demonstrate how to apply the wash to the background. The fabric will curl as it becomes wet, so students need to work fairly quickly while it remains flat. 7. Lay aside to dry. After dry, pieces will need to be ironed on the back or flattened under books. 8. Pieces may be mounted on black construction paper if desired or sewn together as a class textile.

Jill Bogle, 2005

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