Man's cloth

Asante artist

late 19th century

Silk, plain weave with discontinuous supplementary weft patterning and weft face patterning

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A woven textile features a repeating geometric pattern of horizontal bands and rectangular motifs in shades of yellow, brown, and white. The pattern is dense and symmetrical, with a slight distortion on the right side. Asante weavers produce luxurious, richly patterned silk garments that are generally worn only at formal or ceremonial gatherings such as weddings, funerals, or the enthronement of a chief. These cloths are popularly called 'Kente' cloth (from <I>kenten</I>, basket), a name given to them by 19th century traders that may refer to the basketweave effect of alternating stripe and pattern blocks. Within the Asante culture, however, a cloth such as this would be referred to as <I>Nsaduaso</I>, a cloth of high quality that a man of means might purchase. <I>Asasia</I> is the highest quality cloth but its use is restricted to the Asantehene