Comparative Evaluation of Mechanical, Dimensional and Colourfastness Performance in Agotime Kpetoe, Bonwire, and Adanwomase Strip-Woven Fabrics

Ghanaian strip-woven textiles from Agotime Kpetoe and the Asante Kente weaving centres of Bonwire and Adanwomase are widely recognised for their cultural and symbolic significance; however, their measurable material performance under standardised laboratory conditions remains insufficiently documented. This study comparatively evaluated maximum force at break, dimensional stability, and colourfastness of handwoven strip fabrics using GS ISO 13934-1, GS ISO 5077:2007, and GS ISO 105:2013 testing procedures. Twenty-four fabric specimens, comprising eight each from Agotime Kpetoe, Bonwire, and Adanwomase, were purposively selected from recognised weaving communities and tested under controlled conditions at the Ghana Standards Authority. Fibre composition and indicative structural characteristics were documented, while performance data were analysed descriptively using means, standard deviations where supported by specimen-level data, observed ranges, directional strength ratios, and shrinkage differentials. The findings revealed distinguishable performance profiles across the three weaving groups. Agotime exhibited the most balanced directional tensile response, with a weft-to-warp strength ratio of 1.14, whereas Bonwire and Adanwomase demonstrated pronounced weft-dominant behaviour, with ratios of 1.77 and 1.63, respectively. Adanwomase recorded the highest mean maximum force at break in both the warp and weft directions and the lowest mean dimensional change after laundering, while Agotime exhibited the greatest directional shrinkage differential. Agotime-specific breaking-distance data further indicated a broader deformation-at-failure range in the warp direction than in the weft direction. Colourfastness to washing and staining was generally high across all groups. The observed performance differences indicate associations with integrated material–structural configurations rather than causally established effects. By applying standardised performance testing to authentically produced fabrics, this study advances the empirical characterisation of Ghanaian strip-woven textiles as culturally significant material systems with measurable mechanical, dimensional, and colour performance attributes.