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Art from Lesson: Ashanti Discs

The Ashanti people live in the tropical rainforests of Ghana in West Africa. They live about 150 miles from the Sea and are the largest tribe in Ghana. Ghana used to be called the Gold Coast. It had a plentiful supply of gold to be mined. The Ashanti people use gold to make jewellery and religious artefacts.

The Ashanti people decorate their cloth (which they make their clothes from) with patterns made using Adinkra symbols. There are more than fifty symbols, each with a different mystical meaning that are used to tell a story.

Symbols are turned into stamps using either wood or shell

Adinkra Symbols

Indigo Tie-Dye Textiles from West Africa This technique involves treating the cloth before dyeing to create a barrier against the dye to prevent it being absorbed into the cloth. This leaves the colour of the cloth still intact to form the pattern. This traditional dark blue dye was made from the leaves or grain of the indigo tree. This type of resist technique of dyeing can be found in different cultures across the world.

pinch, twist and twirl Twist, knot and tie Tie Dye Techniques pinch, twist and twirl Twist, knot and tie

Roll and tie Once the cloth has been tied, it is then dyed using Indigo dye. It is left for a while to allow the dye to stain the cloth. Once dyed, the cloth needs to be ‘fixed’ – this means that the colour will not wash away in water. Chemicals are used to fix the dye. Once dried, the cloth is decorated using stamps depicting traditional Adinkra symbols.