Beaded christmas ornament (Angel)

african bead necklace


unique necklace


Sankofa earrings

 

Sankofa Adinkra symbol

Sankofa is an Adinkra symbol which means 'Return and get it'
It symbolizes the need to reflect about positive things in one's past and using past experiences to build the future.

Origin of Adinkra symbols

Origin
The Adinkra symbols are believed to have their origin from Gyaman, a former kingdom in today’s Côte D’Ivoire.
According to an Asante (Ghana) legend Adinkra was the name of a king of the Gyaman (Nana kofi Adinkra). Adinkra was defeated and captured in a battle by the Asantes for having copied the “Golden Stool”, which represents for them absolute power and tribal cohesion.
 
He was finally killed and his territory annexed to the kingdom ofAsante.
The tradition had it that Nana Adinkra wore patterned cloth, which was interpreted as a way of expressing his sorrow on being taken to Kumasi the capital of Asante.
 
The Asante people around the 19th century then took to painting of traditional symbols of the Gyamans onto cloth, a tradition that was well practiced by the latter.
Adinkra also means ‘goodbye’ or ‘farewell’ in Twi the language of the Akan ethnic group of which Asante is a part. It has therefore been the tradition of the Akan especially the Asante to wear cloths decorated with Adinkra symbols on important occasions especially at funerals of family relations and friends. This is to signify their sorrow and to bid farewell to the deceased.
 
Today, the Adinkra cloth is not exclusively worn by the Asante people.
It is worn by other ethnic groups in Ghana on a variety of social
gatherings and festive occasions