Culture

Even if we are never introduced, clothes tell about class status, age, family origin, personal opinion, taste, current mood or even give information about erotic interest and sexual status. The language of clothes can be free or prescribed, eccentric or conventional, plain or elaborate. Our clothes are making a statement of us.

The printed textiles is one important art object that constitutes a code in which the people in West Africa have deposited some aspects of the sum of their knowledge, fundamental beliefs, aspects of their history, attitudes and behaviours towards the sacred, and how their society has been organized.

Another significant function of the cloth is evident from an analysis of the colour background as well as the constituent symbols that are incorporated in the design of the cloth.

The colours and the constituent symbols of the cloth evoke complex concepts that relate to social and political organization, beliefs and attitudes, moral and ethical issues about the self and one's responsibilities, knowledge and education.
There are several of the symbols that are linked to proverbs and anansesem - folk stories.

Adinkra is a cotton cloth produced in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire which has traditional Akan symbols stamped upon it. The adinkra symbols represent popular proverbs and maxims, record historical events, express particular attitudes or behaviour related to depicted figures, or concepts uniquely related to abstract shapes. The symbols are used for representing basic values in different forms of everyday life. It is one of several traditional cloths produced in the region – the other well known cloths being kente and adanudo.

„Go back and take.” This is the symbol of positive reversion and revival. It signifies the importance of returning in time to bring to the present useful past cultural values, which are needed today. This symbol teaches the wisdom in learning from the past, which helps in building the future.

The history of beads from Africa and other countries around the world is fascinating. We learn that beads have a longevity, charm, and spellbounding mystic that seems so contemporary. Although beads are over 2000 years old, but yet they look as contemporary as today’s fashion dictates.

Southern Ghana is home to sub-Saharan Africa’s most dynamic and enduring glass bead-making tradition. For over 400 years, Ghanaian bead artists have been producing powder-glass beads from recycled glass to meet local demands of fashion and customary practice.

African people have used beads for ritual and decorative purpose for hundreds of years. In ancient African graves, beads and beaded necklaces have been found buried with kings and chiefs. The Ashanti reasoned that powdered glass beads were worth their weight in gold and that certain beads held supernatural protective powers. The Yoruba people believed that buried beads would grow in the ground and multiply. The most popular trading items brought over by the Europeans in the 16th century were beads and thousands of pounds of beads were exchanged. Until the 20th century no other continent imported as many beads or yielded as many different types of its own. The abundance of the shear variety of shapes, colors and materials used is overwhelming. None though is as popular as the glass bead. The traditional glass bead practice thrives in West Africa. Today, the Krobo people of Ghana, noted bead makers, melt powdered glass in small bead moulds to form their beads.

These beads are very attractive and will serve any outfit worn very well!