AFRICAN TEXTILES KENTE, ADINKRA & KORHOGO

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

Grades K-2 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, which 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 Africa-inspired textile using line and shape 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.

Textile: woven fabric or cloth.

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

1 PowerPoint Presentation

design; it provides visual enrichment and interest, and it helps unify a composition or an area of a composition.

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

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 West Africa 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, GHANA 1972 The Asante (ah-SAHn-tay) people who live in Ghana have always shared ideas 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 Kente cloth. Say ‘Kente’with me. Repeat KEN–tay. This is a photograph of a chief who is wearing a robe made of Kente cloth.

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

2 PowerPoint Presentation

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. What does this symbol mean? (Mickey Mouse or Disneyland.) 3. Can you think of any other symbols? (Nike swoosh, male and female symbols for restrooms, wheelchair for handicapped, 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 textile being sewn together in this photograph.

KORHOGO CLOTH 20TH CENTURY This next textile is made by the Senufo people who live in the north part of the Ivory Coast. The people are farmers and believe in invisible spirits hidden in nature. They spin and weave their own textiles that they decorate with pictures of the animal spirits. It is called Korhogo cloth

KORHOGO CLOTH 20TH CENTURY A long time ago the 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. The people believe their drawings have special meaning and help to protect them and bring them good luck. Today, bolts of factory printed Korhogo Cloth are available in fabric stores in the United States.

CRITICISM

ADINKRA CLOTH, FROM KUMASI, BARK BASED DYED COTTON 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.

Sensory Properties: What do you see? 1. What types of lines can you see in this in this textile? (Mostly straight, vary in width, some curved lines.)

3 PowerPoint Presentation

2. What shapes do the lines make? (Stripes, squares, rectangles.)

Formal Properties: How is it arranged? 1. Repeated shapes or lines in an artwork create patterns. Show where you see patterns created by repeated shapes or lines. (Squares, rectangles, patterns of waves, swirls, crosses, cross-hatching, 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 and 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, sewing 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 make these fabrics- each with their own job to do. These skills to make the fabric have been handed down from generation to generation.

The people of the 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.)

ELDERS AND SUB CHIEF IN ADINKRA STAMPED CLOTH ROBES 1972 The people in this photo 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. Symbols are designs that have a meaning attached to them. For example, if the king wanted to show he was not afraid of anything he would

4 PowerPoint Presentation

choose a fern leaf design or symbol for his clothing. For them, the fern is a symbol of courage.

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

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 of a piece of the shell and a stick is added for a handle.

This design means “welcome”. There are too many to name but they stand for things like strength, hope, two good friends, good fortune and truth.

PRODUCTION

Adinkra Cloth

Criteria: Students will use Adinkra stamps to create a textile like print using line and shape to create pattern.

Materials: 6 ½” x 9 1/2” craft paper, grocery bags or fabric Adinkra stamps (included in the box, two sizes) Newspaper to cover tables Colored markers or crayons Black Stamp Pads- 10 (Marvy or Vivid) or Black Tempera Paint, brushes to apply paint to stamps if using paint – ( If fabric paint is used, be sure it does not dry onto the stamps!) 9” x 12” Colored construction paper with ‘comb’ design printed on edges (or plastic forks to “comb” lines onto the paper using black tempera paint)

Pre-Production set up: 1. Cut fabric or paper to size. 2. Craft paper or paper bags- soak paper in cool water about 1 minute. Crumple to remove as much water as possible, smooth out and allow to dry. Use a ruler or yardstick placed down the center of the papers; draw a line with sharpie pen on

5 PowerPoint Presentation

either side of the ruler. Students will use crayon or pens to make colored horizontal lines in this space.

Instructions: 1. Each student will need 6-½” x 9-½” paper or fabric on newspaper covered surface, three or four different colored crayons or pens, stamps to share, background paper, Adinkra stamps. 2. Show students a finished Adinkra square. Demonstrate to them how to stamp using either a stamp pad or black tempera paint. If using paint, supply one brush per student. Show them how to apply the paint with a brush, just covering the surface, or how to ink the stamp on the stamp pad: A. try not to use too much paint B. try not to move the stamp around after placing on fabric or paper C. re-ink after each stamp 3. Remind students to stamp in a pattern on one half of their paper using the same stamp. Review how the Adrinkra designs are placed in rows. They will trade stamps with their neighbor to stamp a second pattern on the other half of their paper. 4. Show students how to create the stitching lines in the middle of their paper by using crayon or marker in an ABC pattern. Fill the space in between the two black lines with these stitching lines. 5. Glue their finished paper onto the colored construction paper with the combed lines pre-printed on it. Or, allow room for students to add the comb lines on their paper. Sign their name to their work.

Jill Bogle, 2005

6 PowerPoint Presentation

7 PowerPoint Presentation