Motifs of Akan Gold Weights as Potential Design Forms for Fashionable Attire

Abstract

This study investigates the distinctiveness of preserving ancestral Akan themes originating from Asante gold weights. The idea is to use Akan gold weights as viable design elements for clothing. The study employed the qualitative approach, using an experimental and descriptive method, along with other techniques. Twenty-four (24) motifs were selected based on their designs, philosophical message and their ability to be transferred into design forms. Textile designers were seen as primarily limited in their sources of inspiration by known design elements like Adinkra and Kente symbols or patterns, leaving other potential design forms like the Akan gold weights. The primary cause of the monotony that results in the usage of foreign design components is this exclusion of alternative design areas. With the help of the gold weight design motif intervention, the textile and apparel industries may now be equipped with a wider range of design innovations. The ability of the creative textile and fashion sectors to speed up the creation of authentic traditional design is indicated by the rising demand for high-quality, traditional design forms. As concerns over the exploitation of foreign design output develop, culturally motivated textile designs are gaining more attention in the fabric and fashion sectors. The value of Akan gold weight motifs is more understood and appreciated by the general population as a result of such application. The traditional themes of Akan gold weights are further promoted and elevated by incorporating and using these features in textile design and fashion, both locally and internationally.