The loom usually uses four sets of heddles (asanan), but in special cases, six or seven sets of heddles (asasia) may be used. The cloth is woven in narrow strip (called ntomaban) that is about 3-5 inches wide and about 5-6 feet long. Several strips are sewn together to make a wider piece of cloth for both men and women. A man's cloth may contain up to 24 strips and measure about 5x8 feet. The woma
n's two- piece cloth may contain 8-12 strips each piece. It is very important that every weaver knows the processes of preparing to weave and weaving. What differentiates a novice from a skillful weaver is that the skillful weaver is both skillful and knowledgeable about the entire process of weaving. The process of weaving consists of: Yarn preparation preparing raw cotton into yarns dyeing the yarn spinning the bobbin laying the warp threads preparing the warp threads for the loom (knowledge of the variety warp designs and the names for various cloths) Making the loom Weaving Sewing the strips to make either a man’s or a woman’s cloth These skills and knowledge in kente weaving is passed through both informal and formal processes. In the kente weaving areas in Ghana learning to weave starts very early in childhood. Master Weaver Bright Marfo, with the support of my father Mr. Akwasi Marfo, has set the Bonwire Kente Weaving Institute to pass on the knowledge and skills involved in kente weaving. He has 20 weavers at the Institute. The Asante weaver refers to kente as nwentoma (woven cloth) to distinguish it from the factory-made cloth (ntoma) and the adinkra cloth that is stamped (ntiamu ntoma) by the block-print technique. The nwentoma is of various categories: ahwepan (plain weave); topreko (plain weave with simple weft inlays); and faprenu (double weave technique that hides the warp threads). The warp threads are laid in such fashion to give a name and meaning to the cloth. At the same time, the weft designs or motifs are each given a name and meaning. These names and meanings reflect Akan beliefs, historical events, social and political organization in the Akan society, or may be named after all manner of people. The ntomaban (strip) shown to the left is called epie akyi (leopard's back). The strip is made up of weft motifs called nwotoa (snail shell), fa hia kotwere Agyeman (lean your poverty on Agyeman), akyem (shield), babadua (a specie of bamboo), and nkyinkyim (zigzag). The epie akyi imitates the beautiful patchwork of stripes on the leopard. And, one expression associated with epie akyi is: kurotwamansa to nsuo mu a, ne ho na efo; ne ho nsensanee no de ewo ho daa - the leopard only gets wet when it falls into water; the water does not wash off its stripes. Epie akyi is also used in military terms to refer to the defensive position of using stockpiles of plantain stalks to stop the cannons of the Europeans.
