A 190-year-old cloth that has been worn by 7 Asante kings including the current Otumfuor

The wealthy Gold-rich people of the Asante Kingdom of Ghana are a group with a deep and intricate culture that dates back centuries ago.

The Asantehene and members of his tribe

Ashanti oral history reveals that even before the advent of so-called “European civilisation and education” the Ashantis had already developed the large and influential Asante Empire, along the Lake Volta and the Gulf of Guinea.

The Asantehene meets Queen Elizabeth of England

READ MORE: https://braperucci.africa/this-is-how-the-asantehene-was-received-in-the-u-s-ahead-of-his-u-n-speech/

One of such innovations was their textile and fabric industry which saw the creation of the “nwentoma” or what is popularly known today as “Kente”. Kente is a type of silk and cotton fabric made of interwoven cloth strips.

bobpixel

Kente is made in Akan lands such as the Ashanti Kingdom, including the towns of Bonwire, Adanwomase, Sakora Wonoo, and Ntonso in the Kwabre areas of the Ashanti Region.

The 190-year-old cloth worn by the Asantehene

One of the oldest Kente cloths is still in use till date by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

In a post which was shared on social media by Facebooker, Akwasi A Afrifa Akoto, the outfit was commissioned by Kwaku Dua Panin in the 1830s and has seen it passed down six generations down.

“How old do you think this ‘ntoma’ is? It is so old that 7 Kings have worn it-commissioned and worn by Kwaku Dua Panin(1830s), the wealthiest Otumfuo ever who begot 300 children to Kofi Karkari to Mensah Bonsu Ababio to Prempeh Panin ne Prempeh Ababio to Opoku Ware Ababio to Osei Tutu Ababio…It is worn on very special occasions…Asanteman, get ready for the Eyie Kese3,” he wrote.

It is only worn on grand events and its significance is not lost on those with an eye for antique and culture. The red cloth has adinkra symbols and icons including the sun to expre

Despite, Ghana being a constitutional republic, the Asantahene still plays an important role in Ghana today, symbolically linking the past with current Ghanaian politics.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu who succeeded his maternal uncle, Opoku Ware in 1999 is the 16th king to ascend the golden stool.

The Asantehene, who inherited his position along matrilineal lines, has numerous chiefs below him throughout the kingdom who acts on his behalf.

He also has many counsellors with whom he confers before making decisions.

Discover

Sponsor

spot_imgspot_img

Latest

Yay! Netflix releases The Kissing Booth 3 today!

Is it the end of a chapter or the start of a new one for Elle Evans in the final instalment of the Kissing...

This Nigerian photographer has caught the eyes of Mercedes Benz with his campaign shoot

Kashope's life is about to change after his tweet caught the eyes of global automobile brand, Mercedes Benz.

Rihanna slays in Paris for Vogue’s May Cover spread

• Rihanna, went underwear free wearing a lace red catsuit and matching heels on the cover of Vogue's 2022 issue•...

8 hilarious replies to Tweets that will have you laughing out loud till you can’t no more

It's the start of a new work week and maybe you're already feeling down and out, right? They trend #MondayMotivation on social media every...

Art Attack: NK is the young digital artist sharing a slice of Ghana’s culture each bespoke tote bag at a time

They say one starts the game and another bags it, but you don't want to say that about NK. He's a designer who plays...