adinkra
Adinkrahene
Meaning
"King of the adinkra symbols." It stands for authority, leadership and charisma.
Specifications
| Size | 3.5 in |
| Dimensions | 88.4 × 88.4 mm |
| Stitch count | 12,040 |
| Thread trims | 2 |
| Runtime | 19.6 min (est. at 700 stitches/min) |
| Stitch types | fill, satin, running |
| Minimum hoop | 100x100 |
| Formats included | VP3, DST, PES |
Cultural note
Adinkrahene is reported to be the design inspiration for the other adinkra symbols. Its three concentric circles are the simplest form in the whole repertoire, and that abstraction is itself the point: adinkra are visual representations of concepts rather than of things. Eglash and colleagues suggest the form may derive from the ripples made by a drop of water. It appears in the seal of Ashesi University in Ghana.
- ORIGIN
- Akan people — Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire
- LANGUAGE
- Twi
- SOURCES
- Nana Kwabena, Adinkra Symbols & Meanings — adinkrahene, 2020 · Eglash, Bennett, Lachney & Bulley, Adinkra Origins — Culturally Situated Design Tools, 2020
- VERIFIED
- 2026-08-05
Get this design
Embroidery files — all 5 designs
VP3, DST and PES, each the file stitched and approved on fabric. One price for the whole collection, Adinkrahene included.