Into Ancestorhood: Death as Continuity in Traditional West African Art

Textiles:
Like so many other aspects of West African art, textiles incorporate culturally significant themes to function as a means of communication, as well as being appreciated for their aesthetic beauty and material worth.

Patters as Tribute to Specific Deceased Individuals::

Sometimes particular textile patterns are developed for use at an important individuals funeral.  These patterns are then named after the individual and their continued use is seen as a tribute to that person.  This pattern, which has become quite popular among the Akan people of Ghana, is a tribute to an individual named Ama Serwaa.  It is therefore refereed to as: Ama Serwaa wuo ye ya - Ama Serwaa's death is painful or sorrowful. [7]

Symbolic Cloths as Guides for the Deceased in their Journeys::

These pieces of cloth are used by the Kuba (Congo) in all rituals relating to transition.  They are thought to function as maps to guide individuals through transitions such as marriage and death.  The three pieces represent sky, earth, and water.  [3]

Patterns as Communicating Cultural Proverbs Relating to Death as Continuity:

Textiles often incorporate well known proverbs in the form of ideographic symbols [7]. 

This piece of cloth on the left  represents the symbol, ekyem tete a, eka ne meramu -pictured at lower right-which translates too "a shield wears out, the framework still remains." [7]