Adinkra are symbols from Ghana that represent concepts or aphorisms. Adinkra are used extensively in fabrics, logos and pottery. They are incorporated into walls and other architectural features. Adinkra symbols appear on some traditional Akan goldweights.
What country are Adinkra symbols from?
Adinkra symbols were designed by the Akan people from Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana during the early 1800s. Many Adinkra symbols use radial or reflective symmetry and express deeply symbolic proverbs related to life, death, wisdom, and human behavior.
How many Adinkra symbols are in Ghana?
However, the most common place to find Adinkra symbols in Ghana is on cloth; the cloth is decorated with Adinkra symbols and most commonly used during cultural gatherings but especially at funerals. There are many different Adinkra Symbols and Meanings, over 60, and each symbol has a unique meaning.
Are Adinkra symbols Nigerian?
The Adinkra symbols were originally designed by “Asante” Craftsment of Ghana, West Africa. The symbols embody non-verbal communicative and aesthetic values, as well as the way of life of the people who designed them.
Where are the Adinkra symbols in Ghana?
Originating from the Gyaman people of Ghana and la Côte d’Ivoire, the symbols have assumed global importance and are now found in logos, clothes, furniture, sculpture, earthenware pots, and many others.
What are the symbols in Ghana?
- Crossed linguist staff and ceremonial sword on a blue background.
- A heraldic castle on a heraldic sea with a light blue background.
- A Cocoa Tree.
- A Mine Shaft.
- A Gold Lion.
- Black five pointed star rimmed with gold standing on the wreath of red, gold and green colours.
What are the traditional symbols of Ghana?
Adinkra are symbols from Ghana that represent concepts or aphorisms. Adinkra are used extensively in fabrics, logos and pottery. They are incorporated into walls and other architectural features. Adinkra symbols appear on some traditional Akan goldweights.
What African country is Adinkra cloth made in?
Adinkra symbols are found in numerous contexts both in Ghana and in the United States.
What is God called in Ghana?
Nyame (or Onyankopon) is the God of the Akan people of Ghana. His name means “he who knows and sees everything” and “omniscient, omnipotent sky god” in the Akan language.
Is Adinkra a religious symbol?
However, since the 1960s Adinkra symbols have been incorporated into Christian worship and theology, receiving attention within secular and religious circles because of their communicative potential.
Who are the Adinkra people?
The Asante peoples of Ghana use adinkra to express the connection between the verbal and the visual in Akan culture. Adinkra symbols appear on wooden prestige objects, jewelry, brass weights and, most prominently, as two-dimensional stamped designs ornamenting cloth. Historically, adinkra was reserved for Asante kings.
Which part of Africa is Ghana in?
Ghana is a West African country on the Gulf of Guinea. Its neighbours are Côte d’Ivoire, to the west, Burkina Faso, which lies north, and Togo, to the east. Ghana is mainly flat, but there are hills in the northern part of the country.
Who are the Ashanti tribe in Africa?
The Ashanti are the largest tribe in Ghana and one of the few matrilineal societies in West Africa. The area of Ashanti is 9400 square miles with a population of about one million. The Ashanti people have always been known as fierce fighters.
What language is Adinkra?
The Adinkra alphabet is a way to write some of the languages spoken in Ghana and Ivory Coast, such as Akan, Dagbani, Ewe and Ga. It is a simplified version of the Adinkra symbols, and was introduced in 2015 by Charles M. Korankye, who has written a number of books about it.
Who designed the Ghana flag?
The Ghana National Flag was designed by Mrs. T. S Okoh, a Ghanaian, to replace the flag of the United Kingdom upon the attainment of independence in 1957. The flag of Ghana consists of the colours red, gold and green in horizontal stripes with a five pointed black star in the centre of the gold stripe.
Are Adinkra symbols copyrighted?
The adinkra Dwennimmen symbol, which is reproduced on the Vera Bradley backpack, is protected under the Ghanaian Copyright Act as part of Ghana’s cultural heritage. 6 However, as discussed below, Ghanaian adinkra symbols are not protected under U.S. copyright law.
References:
- https://educators.aiga.org/beyond-the-bauhaus-west-african-adinkra-symbols/
- https://bohten.com/blogs/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-adinkra-symbols-african-symbols
- https://uwm.edu/african-diaspora-studies/wp-content/uploads/sites/203/2015/06/Symbols-Adinkra-and-VeVe.pdf
- https://www.adinkrasymbols.org/
- https://ghanahighcom.org.au/site/flag-and-coat-of-arms
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adinkra_symbols
- https://www.adireafricantextiles.com/textiles-resources-sub-saharan-africa/some-major-west-african-textile-traditions/asante-adinkra-cloth/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyame
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/irom.12221
- https://africa.si.edu/exhibits/inscribing/adinkra.html
- https://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/ghana
- https://www.africancraftsmarket.com/african-tribes/ashanti-people.html
- https://omniglot.com/writing/adinkra.htm
- http://www.ghanaconsulatenewyork.org/ghanaflag.aspx
- https://ecollections.law.fiu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1370&context=faculty_publications