Akan Kente cloth color and pattern variations.
Along with the Adinkra cloth Ghanaians use many different cloth fabrics for their traditional attire.[200] The different ethnic groups have their own individual cloth. The most well known is the Kente cloth.[200] Kente is a very important Ghanaian national costume and clothing and these cloths are used to make traditional and modern Ghanaian Kenteattire.[200]
Different symbols and different colours mean different things.[200] Kente is the most famous of all the Ghanaian cloths.[200] Kente is a ceremonial cloth hand-woven on a horizontal treadle loom and strips measuring about 4 inches wide are sewn together into larger pieces of cloths.[200] Cloths come in various colours, sizes and designs and are worn during very important social and religious occasions.[200]
In a cultural context, kente is more important than just a cloth and it is a visual representation of history and also a form of written language through weaving.[200] The term kente has its roots in the Akan word kɛntɛn which means a basket and the first kente weavers used raffia fibres to weave cloths that looked like kenten (a basket); and thus were referred to as kenten ntoma; meaning basket cloth.[200] The original Akan name of the cloth was nsaduaso or nwontoma, meaning "a cloth hand-woven on a loom"; however, "kente" is the most frequently used term today.[200]