Ghana is well known for its traditional crafts, in particular the
colourfully partterned kente cloth, which has been woven by Asante and
Ewe people for hundreds of years. Dye-stanied adinkra cloth is also
associated strongly with the Asante, who attribute different proverbs
to each of 60 different Adinkra signs, and is often worn on funerals
and other important occations. Hand-spun fugu cloth is a speciality in
Bolgatanga and the village of Daboya, while wide straw hats and baskets
are popular in the far north and east, and Sirigu in the north is an
important centre of pottery. Craft stalls around the country also sell
a wide selection of sculptures and masks made locally and in
neighboring Mali, Togo, Benin and Cote d�Ivoire. Most hotels in Ghana exhibit arts and handicraft for purchase.
Pottery: Traditional
pottery in Ghana is simple and functional. Glaze is not common and the
color of the pot depends largely on the type of clay used, although
some pots are black from the smoke created during firing. Pots are
still used to prepare, cook, and store food. Perhaps the most
functional is the grinding bowl which is shallow with ridges on the
inside. Food is ground with a small wooden pestle. Pots are low fired,
therefore fragile, but inexpensive and for sale in every market and
often on the roadside. Traditionally pottery is made by women, but many
men are contemporary potters with many design departures from the
women's pots.
Kente Cloth: In
Ghana traditional weaving is done by men of the Ewe and Ashanti tribes.
Who is more innovative depends on your source of information. The Ewe
migrated from the north and their famous weaving villages are in the
Volta Region along the path of migration. Ewe work is distinguished by
animal, human and symbolic patterns woven into the cloth. The Ashanti
are located in the Central Region and are known for their traditional
crafts. Ashanti cloth is usually geometric in design. Both groups excel
at weaving cloth fit for a king, and originally Kente was only worn by
kings, chiefs or people in very prominent positions. Now, it is
available to all, but because of its expense, it is still the cloth of
prestige.
Coffins: Something
that was started as a special tribute to an uncle has turned into big
business for some coffin makers in Teshie/Nungua, a suburb of Accra.
These are coffins, although they can be considered sculptures, which
are constructed in the shape of cars (usually Mercedes), planes,
animals, etc. If you were a fisherman in life, you can be buried and
transported to the next world in a fish. Because the cost starts around
$1500 burial in one of these clever structures is limited to a small
part of the population. Because of articles in the press, especially
National Geographic, they have become collectors items in the western
world.
Beads: When
you ask Ghanaians where beads come from they will tell you that they
come from the ground, and indeed, many have been dug up, but the Krobo
are the most famous beadmakers in Ghana and originally they bought
their beads from traders who came from Nigeria. Now there are several
Krobo workshops where glass beads are made in ceramic molds by firing
in woodburning kilns. Made by men, it takes several years of
apprenticeship to be able to form some of the intricate patterns
associated with African beads. For a nice photo of Krobo beads
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