Symbols
← Back to library
Adinkra Denkyem

Adinkra Denkyem

CulturalSeed

adinkra

Construction note

A geometric impression of the adinkra symbol Denkyem. “The crocodile.”

About this symbol

Meaning
Adaptability and cleverage.
Culture / origin
Akan peoples (Ghana & Côte d'Ivoire)
Era
From at least the 19th century (Gyaman / Asante)
Historical context
Adinkra symbols are stamped on cloth and carved on objects, each encoding a proverb or maxim about life, virtue and the divine.

Adinkra are Akan visual proverbs with deep cultural meaning. Use them with their proverb and credit the Akan tradition, not as generic ornament.

Tags

adinkraakanghanawest-africanproverb

SVG source

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="24" height="24"><g fill="none" stroke="#3a2a1a" stroke-width="1.7" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><path d="M3 14 H19 L21 12 M5 14 L4 11 M9 14 L8 11 M13 14 L12 11 M17 14 L16 11 M6 14 V17 M14 14 V17 M18 13 a1 1 0 1 0 0.1 0"></path></g></svg>