designer scarves

Designed to resemble an antique find, this ocher mask of a woman is crafted in the artistic traditions of the Ashanti and Dokor people. Worlasi Agbalenyo carves the sese wood mask by hand, creating rugged textures with sand. Wearing earrings on jute strings, the face is scarred in the belief that the markings will scare off death.

Woven by hand, three strips of traditional West African kente cloth become a colorful scarf. Deborah Osei Boakye continues her grandfather's craft with this extraordinary design. Each strip of kente cloth requires considerable effort, and the looms are worked with both hands and feet. Each color has its own meanings in Ashanti culture, and the patterns themselves are carefully chosen symbols, which a master weaver develops and names. This design is named Nsatsia, meaning "fingers" in the Akan language. Its motifs suggest interlocking fingers from both hands.

Golden yellow stool thrones alternate with black and white squares and stripes in this bold cotton kente scarf. Ghana's Gobah Tengey-Seddoh Family selects the Fiazikpui pattern for a scarf of three fabric strips.

The Fiazikpui motif is created primarily on the weft, or horizontal threads of the loom. The design, which means, "Seat of a King," originated in the 14th century to honor one of the head chiefs or kings of what is now Ghana.

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.

Golden yellow stool thrones alternate with black and white squares and stripes in this bold cotton kente scarf. Ghana's Gobah Tengey-Seddoh Family selects the Fiazikpui pattern for a scarf of two fabric strips.

The "Fiazikpui" motif is created primarily on the weft, or horizontal threads of the loom. The design, which means, "Seat of a King," originated in the 14th century to honor one of the head chiefs or kings of what is now Ghana.

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.

Golden yellow stool thrones alternate with black and white squares and stripes in this bold cotton kente scarf. Ghana's Gobah Tengey-Seddoh Family selects the Fiazikpui pattern for a scarf of one single fabric strip.

The "Fiazikpui" motif is created primarily on the weft, or horizontal threads of the loom. The design, which means, "Seat of a King," originated in the 14th century to honor one of the head chiefs or kings of what is now Ghana.

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.

Robert Nortey is inspired by the customs and beliefs of Ghana’s Ashanti people for the design of this original mask. He carves the sese wood mask by hand featuring painted details. Magnificently detailed embossed aluminum represent the Ashanti's traditional scarification patterns on the face. Known as donkor, they are performed on babies for protection, with the belief they will scare evil spirits and death.

Obo-adaka is a suburb of Aburi in Eastern Ghana, its name literally meaning "box made from rock." This horror mask by Prince Amartey presents a healer from Obo-adaka, his prominent forehead, bulging cheeks and rough beard of jute fibers imposing upon the viewer. It is as though the healer possesses facial features intended to scare off evil-minded demons, enabling him to carry out his life-saving duties. Hewn from a single block of sese wood and adorned with brass plates, the complex design is sure to garner attention in any setting.

The work is treated with a light layer of china clay (kaolin) and white wood mix to provide an antique-like effect.