The Meaning We Wear: The Story Behind Our Stoles and Symbols

Before it became something we wore, it meant something.

The stools and Adinkra symbols found on many African Royalty stoles are not simply decorative African designs. They come from cultural traditions with histories, values and meanings that deserve to be understood.

The story begins with the Akan people, an ethnocultural group primarily found in present-day Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. The Akan include several groups, including the Asante, Fante, Akuapem, Akyem, Bono, Baoulé and others. Across Akan societies, stools have carried significance far beyond their practical use as seats.

A stool can represent identity, leadership, authority and responsibility.

Among the Asante people of Ghana, this symbolism reaches its highest expression in the Golden Stool — Sika Dwa Kofi.

According to Asante tradition, the Golden Stool descended from the heavens through the priest Okomfo Anokye during the reign of Osei Tutu I as the Asante states were being unified. It was not created simply as a throne for a king. It came to represent the collective soul, unity and sovereignty of the Asante nation.

That distinction is important.

The Golden Stool does not belong to one person. It represents a people. It is considered so sacred that no one sits on it.

So when you see stool imagery incorporated into an African Royalty stole, understand that the symbolism goes deeper than royalty in the Western sense of crowns and titles. The stool speaks to leadership, dignity, heritage, responsibility and belonging.

The same intention applies to the Adinkra symbols that appear throughout our designs.

Adinkra are symbols rooted in Akan cultural traditions that communicate ideas, values, philosophies and proverbs. A symbol can speak to faith, perseverance, wisdom, unity, strength or the importance of remembering where you come from.

Gye Nyame, meaning “Except God,” speaks to the supremacy of God and has become one of the most recognizable Adinkra symbols in the world.

Sankofa reminds us to return to the past, retrieve what is valuable and use that knowledge as we move forward.

These symbols are not interchangeable decorations.

They say something.

That is why African Royalty offers customization. We want our customers to have the opportunity to choose an Adinkra symbol that reflects their journey, their values or what they want to carry into the next chapter of their lives.

And that next chapter does not have to begin at graduation.

Our stoles have become closely associated with graduates proudly representing their heritage as they cross the stage, but culture should not be reserved for convocation.

Wear one to celebrate a birthday.

A wedding.

A promotion.

A new business.

An anniversary.

A retirement.

A homecoming.

A naming ceremony.

Or simply a moment that deserves to be marked with pride.

A stole can say congratulations, but it can also say something deeper:

I know where I come from.
I understand what I carry.
And I am proud to represent it.

At African Royalty, we believe there is a difference between simply wearing African culture and understanding what you are wearing.

Know the meaning. Choose your symbol. Wear it with intention.