The Registry

The Kente Registry

The world’s first digital authentication system for Kente cloth.

The World’s First Digital Authentication System for Kente Cloth

Protecting Living Heritage

The Kente Registry builds on Ghana’s 2025 Geographical Indication (GI) recognition to create a transparent, digital system for documenting and verifying authentic Ghanaian Kente cloth. We bridge the gap between legal protection and practical implementation.

How the Registry Works

The Registry workflow, four stages Four numbered cards left to right: Submit, Administrative Review, Expert Assessment, and KR Number Issued. Each transition is annotated as a human gate. The full sequence resolves within two to four weeks. FROM SUBMISSION TO PERMANENT RECORD 1 Submit
Choose pathway and submit through the guided form
 human gate 2 Administrative review
Submission checked for completeness; intake record opened
 human gate 3 Expert assessment
Photographs, weave structure, and material details evaluated
 human gate 4 KR number issued
Permanent identifier and QR code, within 2–4 weeks
Fig. 1 The four stages of registration. Nothing flows downstream automatically; each handoff is a deliberate human gate. The full procedure, including the safeguards that make the registry sequence auditable, is set out in How the Registry Works.

Submit Your Application

Choose your registration pathway, Design Registration, Master Weaver Profile, or Cloth Authentication, and complete the Combined Submission Form with required details and high-resolution photographs.

Administrative Review

Your submission is checked for completeness and assigned an intake record. The Registry team reviews personal details, design or cloth information, photographs, and any supporting documentation.

Expert Assessment

Experts evaluate photographic evidence, weave structure, and material details. Information is cross-referenced with community records and oral traditions to confirm cultural authenticity and heritage lineage.

Registry ID & Verification

You are notified of the outcome within 2 to 4 weeks. If verified, you receive a unique Registry ID and QR code, enabling anyone to instantly authenticate your Kente and connect it to its weaver and/or heritage.

What the Registry Protects

Weaver Identity

  • Full name and community affiliation
  • Years of experience and specializations
  • Master weaver certifications
  • Lineage and traditional knowledge
  • Contact information for commissions

Cloth Details

  • Pattern name in local language
  • Colour combinations and meanings
  • Weaving technique used
  • Date of creation
  • Cultural significance and symbolism

Community Heritage

  • Approved weaving communities
  • Regional traditions and styles
  • Historical weaving techniques
  • Traditional pattern ownership
  • Oral histories and knowledge

For weavers

Recognition, protection from imitation, global visibility, economic opportunities, and the preservation of a legacy for future generations.

For buyers

Confidence in authenticity, connection to the weaver’s story, support for ethical sourcing, and assurance of cultural respect.

For researchers

Access to documented weaving traditions, verified historical patterns, connections to master weavers, and preserved cultural knowledge.

For Ghana

Implementation of GI protection, economic benefits to communities, cultural preservation, and global recognition of heritage.

Ready to Verify or Register Authentic Kente?

Join us in protecting Ghana’s precious cultural heritage for future generations.

Take Action

Use the Registry

Start a Submission →
Verify a Cloth →
How the Registry Works →

Have a kente cloth you want registered?

Start the submission process →