Kente Wall Hanging with the theme: One Head Cannot Go Into Council
This Kente cloth is deeply intertwined with the history of traditional Ashanti craft begun in the 18th century. It was woven by Amos Akwasi Gogo (2017 cloth), who mastered his craft under the tutelage of Andrew E. Asare Jr. (1995 cloth), son of the late A.E. Asare (1960 cloth), who presented the first Kente cloth as gift from the Republic of Ghana to the United Nations in 1960.
This gift from Ghana is a unique piece comprising a combination of several designs and colours, signifying unity in diversity. One prominent pattern in this cloth is called “Adwene si Adwene so” which literally means “the meeting of minds”, that is, the interaction of different ideas and perspectives towards a common goal. Kente was originally designed in the 18th century for the Ashanti Queen, Yaa Asantewa, known and esteemed for her practice of seeking counsel before making decisions.
The colours woven in this cloth have symbolic meaning in Ghanaian societies. The dominant green colour stands for spiritual growth and renewal. Yellow represents prosperity and wealth, while red represents the blood of the forefathers, and blue for peace and tranquillity.
This Kente cloth is a visual representation of moral, ethical and philosophical values of a nation, while depicting the historical and social code of conduct as well as its traditional beliefs.
The Republic of Ghana presented a Kente cloth, a traditional item from Ghana, to the United Nation in 2017 and had replaced the gift five times previously (1960, 1969, 1975, 1985, 1995), each iteration of the cloth with unique designs.
It was presented on behalf of the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, by Minister for Justice and Attorney General of the Republic of Ghana, Gloria Afua Akuffo. Permanent Representative of the Republic of Ghana to the UN, Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, was also present at the presentation ceremony.