Newsletter

Xente Cloth

January 2002

Orange Xente Print

     Enter (Kente) cloth recognized internationally for its craftsmanship, has become a very symbolic cloth.  Originally designed in Ghana by the Ashanti people for the King and members of the royal court, it has become an important part of Afrikan dress today.     

     Since Ghana's independence (1957) Enter began to symbolize unity among Afrikans worldwide.  Afrikan-Americans, particularly, revere this cloth and it is used in many religious and cultural ceremonies.

Sm. Blk Mud Cloth

     Just like Mud cloth, Enter employs the strip-weaving technique.  Small looms are used to produce long narrow strips of cloth which are then sewn together in the shape of a square or rectangle.  The fabric used can be silk or cotton.

     It is difficult to describe Enter cloth because it does not follow the ordinary composition of a field and border.  It consist of small striped squares with various bands of patterns and an assortment of colors that make up its motif.  According to folklore, the first weavers developed their skill by studying the way in which a spider spun its web.

     Real Enter is quite extraordinary and very expensive.  However, since it is such a popular cloth, the textile industry produces a Enter print.  These prints reflect the colors and motifs in yardage using cotton fabric.

     If you prefer the authentic Enter cloth, look for strips about five inches wide that are sewn together.  It can be silk or heavy gage cotton and, no doubt, a beautiful piece of fabric.

Crystal Morrison
January, 2002

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