This vibrant, versatile textile is an outstanding example of kente cloth art. Crafted in brilliant colors by the Gobah Tengey-Seddoh Family, its name means mother (danye) first (gbator) in homage to the artisan's mother. The design originated in the seventeenth century, when bright colors came into vogue after centuries of using browns, blacks and whites. Expert weavers, the Gobah Tengey-Seddoh Family creates this exquisite shawl in 100% rayon. Each strip requires considerable effort, and the looms are worked with both hands and feet. Strips are generally three to four inches wide and seven to ten feet long, and the length of time it takes to complete one strip varies by the complexity of the chosen pattern. The simplest use mostly vertical, or warp patterns, and an experienced weaver can make several of those in one day. But patterns with nearly all weft (horizontal thread) patterns where the warp design is hardly visible can take up to four days to complete an individual strip. Each color has its own meanings in Asante culture. Green is fertility and new harvest, gold is royalty, black is strength, aging and spirituality, and white is purity. The patterns themselves are carefully chosen symbols, which a master weaver develops and names, often to honor people, historical events, or proverbs.
