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The Depository documents 7 techniques in Ghana; by risk level: 2 endangered, 4 vulnerable, 1 stable. Each record opens with a public summary; the full research record is free to view once registered.
The hand-carving of calabash-gourd stamps and their application in dark, bark-based dye to print symbolic Adinkra motifs onto woven cotton cloth, practiced by the Asante people of Ghana and centered on the village of Ntonso, northeast of…
The lost-wax (cire perdue) casting of brass goldweights and related objects by Akan, specifically Asante, metalworkers of Ghana, historically centered on Kumasi and its surrounding craft villages, notably Krofofrom and Adum Ensuasi.
The single-block carving of two related but distinct Ashanti ceremonial wood forms: royal and family stools, symbols of status and carved records of maternal genealogy featuring a curved seat representing a mother's embrace and a central…
The multi-stage hand extraction of shea butter (nkuto) from the nuts of the shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa, locally called karité), practiced by women in Ghana's Northern, Upper East, and Upper West regions since at least the 14th century.
The weaving of Ghana's iconic Kente cloth from narrow strips of silk, cotton, or rayon on horizontal double-heddle looms, practiced primarily in the Ashanti and Ewe regions of Ghana.
The crushing, molding, and kiln-firing of recycled glass into vividly patterned powder-glass beads by Krobo artisans, predominantly women, of Odumase-Krobo, Agomanya, and Somanya in Ghana's Eastern Region.
The vegetable-tanning of cattle, sheep, and goat hides into leather goods — sandals, bags, belts, hats, cushions, and rugs — by artisans of northern Ghana, historically introduced via trans-Saharan trade routes through towns including…