This is the rating and price for African Ashanti Kente Cloth

Description : West Africa, Ghana, Ashanti, ca. 1950. A beautiful and quite sizeable Asante (Ashanti) kente cloth, finely handwoven from cotton and silk fibers of fuschia, wine red, tangerine orange, kelly green, black, and creamy white - displaying a mesmerizing pattern comprised of countless striated panels oriented in juxtaposed vertical and horizontal directions - some with additional zigzag or abstract butterfly-like motifs - that are stitched together to form this large, special Kente cloth. Kente cloth has a fascinating history (see below), it was originally reserved for elite Asante royalty and limited to ritualistic and special social occasions. Today, it is still associated with sophistication and those of elite social status. Size: 119.25 L x 60 W (302.9 cm x 152.4 cm) For the Asante (Ashanti) people of Ghana, a beloved legend describes how two male friends —Ota Karaban and Kwaku Ameyaw—learned the art of weaving by observing a spider weaving a web. One particular night, when the pair was checking their animal traps in the forest, they were struck by this web's marvelous patterns sparkling in the moonlight. Ananse, as the spider was called, offered to teach the men how to weave these designs in exchange for several favors. The men in turn learned how to weave the designs with a single thread and returned home to Bonwire. Soon Asantehene Osei Tutu, first ruler of the Asante kingdom, learned of their discovery. Named kente, this creation was coveted as a royal cloth reserved for special occasions, and Bonwire became the leading kente weaving center for the asantehene and his court. Provenance: Poos Collection, Overland Park, Kansas, USA - One of the largest privately held quilt and textile collections in the world, the Poos Collection has evolved over 50 years and through extensive travels to allow for original or point of source acquisition. The collection includes international textiles and garments with an emphasis on West African textiles such as adire, aso oke, kente, and ewe woven prestige cloths. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #145218
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Estimate (low-high) : 800 USD-1200 USD It's free to register now to view!

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