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Man's Kente Wrapper

A work made of rayon and cotton, twenty-three narrow woven strips with bands of warp-stripe plain weave, warp-stripe plain weave with supplementary brocading wefts; and weft-faced plain weave; joined; main warp fringe.

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  • A work made of rayon and cotton, twenty-three narrow woven strips with bands of warp-stripe plain weave, warp-stripe plain weave with supplementary brocading wefts; and weft-faced plain weave; joined; main warp fringe.

Date:

Early 20th century

Artist:

Asante
Ghana

About this artwork

Kente is composed of narrow strips of patterned cloth sewn together edge-to-edge to form a single, large garment. Its distinctive checkerboard pattern is produced by aligning the selected cloth strips in a particular order; with each geometric motif communicating ideas, events, or proverbs important to the wearer. Kente cloth is wrapped around the body and draped over one shoulder, and often worn by a person of great importance, including Asante royalty.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Culture

Asante

Title

Man's Kente Wrapper

Place

Ghana (Object found in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1900–1925

Medium

Rayon and cotton, twenty-three narrow woven strips with bands of warp-stripe plain weave, warp-stripe plain weave with supplementary brocading wefts; and weft-faced plain weave; joined; main warp fringe

Dimensions

310.5 × 217.2 cm (122 1/4 × 85 1/2 in.); Approximate strip: W.: 9.9 cm (3 7/8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David C. Ruttenberg

Reference Number

1985.757

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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