AGBOZUME KENTE WEAVERS ASSOCIATION

QUESTIONNAIRE

*For our purpose, Agbozume area comprises Sόme, Klikor and neighbouring Anlo communities.

*The questionnaire relates to former kete weavers and weavers currently practicing the craft.

* The questionnaire was adopted in individual interviews without the presence of other respondents.

* Date of interview: 3 January 2022.

What is your name?

Clemence Kpogo Ayesuxeɖe.

How old are you?

84 years old.

Where do you live?

Akaglakope.

What is your major occupation?

I used to do weaving of kete as my main occupation and farming in the major raining season.

How long have you been weaving?

I wove for about 70 years. Now, I don’t weave because I have problem with my eyes, even though I feel I have the strength to weave.

Why did you choose kete weaving as your major occupation?

Growing up, I had passion for it. It is something I admire when I see people doing it. Through that I developed the interest in it and learnt it.

How did you learn the craft?

I learnt it from a certain man called Mr. Korku Adzato Agboli whom I used to run errand for at Akaglakope. I started with spinning, later setting of warps, fixing it into to the heddle and the reed/ beater. Upon mastering these skills, he then taught me the main craft of weaving by allowing me enter into his loom and he observed as I wove. The first cloth I wove was fiawoyiƒe.  Eventually, I mastered the art and I became a master myself and I also taught many people.

What type(s) of kete do you weave?

Đaɖani, kpe-evee, aƒevɔ of all kinds including togodo, but I don’t have any sample except the one in my heddle; photo below:

Do you weave on order, or you sell the product at Agbozume market?

I do both of them.

If you weave on order, describe the process.

The customer and I usually bargain over the price of the cloth. If there is an agreement, I am given half of the price of the cloth to which I add a little money to buy the materials for the work. When I finish producing the cloth, the customer collects the cloth and gives me the remainder of amount charged for the cloth.

What raw materials do you use in weaving?

I used cotton, rayon, aƒeɖeti, agbonogo, BH Mensah etc.

How do you acquire the yarn for kete weaving?

I buy it from retail yarn stores at Agbozume.

Do you use the yarn kadada in weaving?

Yes, usually when I was weaving afevⴢ. I even know how to do the kadada myself.

What types of designs and patterns do you weave in kete?

Seƒoƒo (flower), asi (hand), eyi (cutlas), kɔga (chain – jewelry), fiayi (sword), agama (chameleon), amagba (leaf), fiazikpui (stool), atiglinyi (elephant), koklo (hen), kpakpaxe (duck), kpakpaluʋui (butterfly) etc.

Flower (seƒoƒo)

Leaf (amagba)

Cube (sukluikpe)

Stool (fiazikpui)

Why do you adopt those designs?

They were the ones in demand and attractive to clients.

How did you get to know the designs and patterns?

Apart from those that I was taught, I got to know the rest from my friends when I visited them.

How old are those designs and patterns that you weave in kete?

Oh, they were in existence before I was born.

How popular are they? Do people of Agbozume and neighbouring areas wear kete with those designs and patterns?

They are not common because they are usually worn by chiefs and rich men and women in society. They were mostly used on occasions like funerals, festivals, durbars etc.

Have you invented any design or pattern in kete?

Yes, I designed a cow in the entire cloth which I had never seen before.  I sketched it on a piece of paper which I placed before me when I set out to do it. With many trials and error, I was able to design it. This was ordered by a man from Yeji and I did it for him. The owner might still be having the cloth. I did it over ten years ago.

Do you know any women weavers?  If yes, name them and state how long they have been in the job.

Madam Abla Kpuitⴢ. She wove the cloth for about a year and she stopped because those days you hardly see a woman weaving kete. This happened about 50 years ago.

What is togodo?

It is a design cloth which creates a circle (eto), when the designs are sewn by the tailor. There are different main designs which are covered by the eto.

Is kpe-evee vɔ woven today in Agbozume and neighbouring area?

Yes, at Akaglakope, Avata, Srohume, Tengekope etc.

In your opinion, what is the difference between kete woven today in Agbozume and Asante kente?

Asante kente has less weight and it is soft; it has only one group of warp, and rayon is used for both warp and weft.

Agbozume kete has weight and it is thick; it has two groups of warp, mainly composed of cotton, and rayon is mostly used as design weft.

What challenges do you face in practicing your craft? How do you deal with them?

At times stray goats run into the warp and cut them, and I go out and re-join the warp threads.

Are there any obstacles discouraging the kete industry in Agbozume area?

Yes. The supply of the cloth is more than the demand. And there is a regular hike in price of the yarn.

In your opinion, how should those problems be resolved?

Markets should be developed overseas for kete products. And then, a wholesale yarn store should be opened at Agbozume to help weavers because when we work all the profit goes into buying of yarn.