The truthful and incontestable data about the birthplace, discovery and evolution of kente cloth started 10,000 years ago. Kente related to the word kenten which means basket. It is a hand woven cloth accompanied by a name, significant, theory of knowlegde and history. It continues in Bonwire, the now original home of kente. Two friends, Kuragu and Ameyaw farmers and hunters by profession raised at Bonwire in Ghana, premeditated the way the spider went about instrinsic art of weaving its cobweb.
They perfected their first weaving system named Ayaasentoma using thin fiber. They developed a second system called Asasentomausing cotton yarn. The third system of weaving developed was Nsaduasotoma using silk or cotton. With reference to the discovery of the weaving technology, it occured to the people of Bonwire to use combination of European silk and cotton in weaving. It worked. The cloth was marvelously strong. It gave the kente cloth a new appearance like a woven basket. The newly woven cloth was shown to Bonwire chief, Nana Bobie Ansah I who gave it to the Asante king, Nana Osei Tutu I.
The kente awe inspiring combination of colors and patterns with prominent names has kept ride at full speed with the activity of Bonwire artistic judgement. Some kente designs are derived from important names and events such as Fathia Fata Nkrumah, a pattern named after the wife of the first president of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Baakofo mmu oman, meaning one person does not rule alone. Emmaa da, never has such a design been made before. Adwinasa mean all artistic designs have been exhausted.
Today, kente has become a universal fabric with varieties of designs and production being advanced to meet miscellaneous tasks and uses.
