{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O164606"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O164606/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2012FT9997/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2012FT9997/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2012FT9997","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021MY5238","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O164606/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O164606","accessionNumber":"CIRC.321-1964","objectType":"Textile","titles":[{"title":"Kente","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"Formed by stitching together narrow strips of handwoven cloth, Kente often features colourful woven patterns. The term is particularly used to refer to the silk cloth of West Africa, where it has been traditionally crafted and worn by Asante and Ewe populations since at least the 17th century, chiefly in the region of modern-day Ghana. Stripweave is an ancient textile type, created by stitching together individual, narrow strips of handwoven fabric to form a whole finished cloth.  The way the patterns line up once it has been cut is testament to the skill of the weaver. Asante and Ewe men traditionally took on the role of weaving, using a small double-heddle handloom to make the cloth strips, typically warp-striped and often enhanced with weft-float patterns. These strips are arranged in an off-set manner of alternating patterns – the resulting effect is that of an elaborate design that if it were one continuous length would require a much larger and more complex loom. Historically the reserve of royalty and the elite, this highly prized textile is still today worn by many men and women, often for important occasions and celebrations.\n\nDifferent kente weaves, patterns and colours often hold special symbolic meaning. Many are given a particular name, usually assigned by the weaver, based on proverbs, current events, or everyday objects. It is possible to distinguish between Asante and Ewe kente through the types of pattern and fibres used – whilst Asante favour geometric patterns in silk, Ewe are known to include figurative motifs such as animals, people and letters in their weft-float designs, utilising a blend of cotton and silk.\n\nThis particular kente is an example of Ewe weaving; the Ewe come from the South Eastern part of Ghana’s Volta region. The cloth is made up of 19 strips which are each about 10cm wide and 280cm long.  The size of this cloth makes it likely that it was intended as a man’s wrapper. In typical Ewe style, figurative designs are here included in the cloth's supplementary weft-float patterns; these designs often relate to proverbs which are an important part of Ewe culture. This cloth has a pattern of leaves which relates to the proverb ‘I will not survive if I am plucked from the tree’. The leaf pattern is limited to nine central strips of the kente, rather than covering the whole cloth, suggesting it belonged to a man of modest social standing.   \r\n\r\nThis cloth was bequeathed to the museum by Mary Kirby, a weaver herself, who also taught weaving.  She collected textiles from around the world and used them as teaching aids.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Kente cloth, made up of 19 lengths of strip-woven cotton each approximately 10cm wide.  A portion of the centre has supplementary weft float patterns depicting leaves.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Cotton","id":"AAT14067"}],"techniques":[{"text":"weaving","id":"AAT53643"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Hand-woven cotton","categories":[{"text":"Textiles","id":"THES48885"},{"text":"Africa","id":"THES49019"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2012FT9997","2021MY5238"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES308298"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Woven textile","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Ghana","id":"x30041"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"possibly Agotime, south-east Ghana"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"mid 20th century","earliest":"1925-01-01","latest":"1964-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Miss Mary Kirby","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"283","unit":"cm","qualifier":"maximum","date":{"text":"24/05/2021","earliest":"2021-05-24","latest":"2021-05-24"},"part":"","note":"Measured by conservation"},{"dimension":"Height","value":"200","unit":"cm","qualifier":"Maximum","date":{"text":"24/05/2021","earliest":"2021-05-24","latest":"2021-05-24"},"part":"","note":"Measured by conservation"}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This cloth hails from the Miss Mary Kirby bequest, a significant donation of global textiles acquired by  the museum in 1964. Of the 70 textiles included in the acquisition, 28 were produced or sold in West  Africa. Miss Kirby was a passionate textiles teacher, author, and collector. She taught weaving at the  Central School, London, and in the 1950s spent many years in Ghana teaching textiles at the Kumasi  College of Technology. Correspondence within the acquisition's Registered File indicate that she  collected the textiles as educational aids. \n\nWe are very grateful to Professor John Picton for his advice in identifying  several African textiles held by the V&amp;A. ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Kente, strip-woven cotton, Ghana, mid 20th century","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Stylianou, Nicola Stella (2012) Producing and Collecting for Empire: African Textiles in the V&A 1852-2000. PhD  thesis, University of the Arts London and the Victoria and Albert Museum."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[{"text":"Ghana","id":"x30041"}],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[{"text":"","id":""}],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Stripweave cloths, like aso òkè and kente, are ancient textile types, created by stitching together narrow strips of woven fabric to create a finished cloth. Different weaves, patterns and colours often have special meaning. For the Ewe, the patterns of kente cloth often make a reference to daily life, rather than social standing. Each pattern has a name, usually given by the weaver, which can be inspired by a historical event, a proverb or even individuals in pop culture. (CIRC.116D-1934, CIRC.321-1964, CIRC.766-1967) V&A, Room 40, <i>Africa Fashion </i>","date":{"text":"02/07/2022 - 16/04/2023","earliest":"2022-07-02","latest":"2023-04-16"}}],"partNumbers":["CIRC.321-1964"],"accessionNumberNum":"321","accessionNumberPrefix":"CIRC","accessionYear":1964,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-09-24","recordCreationDate":"2008-07-30","availableToBook":false}}