SLIDE 22 Asante King, Ghana, 1981

IS THIS OBJECT TRADITIONAL OR MODERN? WAS IT MADE FOR USE IN A TRADITIONAL AFRICAN CULTURE? Even though many Africans live in modern cities, many traditional objects and beliefs still play an important role in African life. Some traditions remain strong, some change with the times, and other traditions die out. This is a picture of an Asante (uh-shahnt-ee) king (a ruler of the Akan people) in Ghana. We can tell that this ruler was very important because of the amount of gold he wears. His gold flywhisk is a sign of authority and rulership. He is dressed in a traditional manner, wearing a kente cloth robe. Kente cloth is a good example of an African object that has changed with the times but still retains some of its past significance. In the 15th and 16th centuries the Dutch and East Indian Trading Company brought silk to Ghana. The people of Ghana unravelled the silk cloth and used this raw material to weave long, narrow strips which were sewn together to form the kente cloth. Every pattern of kente cloth had a name and a meaning. Scents cloth was traditionally worn only by royalty. Today you don't need to be royalty to wear kente cloth. Many people wear kente cloth in modern societies (including in the United States). Its traditional importance as a prestige item worn only by royalty has prompted modern people to wear it as a sign of pride in Africa or African heritage. Currently at many college graduation ceremonies African American students will wear a strip of kente cloth with their graduation gowns. PART 4-PAGE 5 OF 7

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