KNUST Research Week and Scientific Conference: Empowering Researchers to Achieve Impactful Outcomes

Parallel analysis of contemporary ladies’ dressing bags in Kumasi’s informal sector has revealed that floral and global fashion-inspired patterns dominate the decorations on bag used, with limited representation of indigenous Ghanaian aesthetics. This study therefore investigates the innovative integration of African pottery forms and motifs into the design and production of ladies’ dressing bags using Ghanaian indigenous vegetable-tanned leather. Anchored in a qualitative, design-based approach, the research identified, documented, and categorized African pottery traditions such as Makonde, Tuareg, Ndebele, and Igbo Udu, focusing on their symbolic forms, decorative motifs, and cultural significance. The study reinterpreted pottery-inspired forms and motifs into prototype bags shoulder, satchel, clutch, and tote employing artisanal hand-painting and heat-transfer printing techniques. Findings demonstrated that pottery motifs such as zigzags, chevrons, triangles, and concentric circles retained their symbolic resonance when transposed onto leather surfaces, while vessel forms informed ergonomic yet culturally rooted bag silhouettes. The outcomes confirmed that integrating African pottery vocabularies into fashion accessories enhances cultural preservation, strengthens creative industries, and enriches contemporary design practice. By situating African heritage within modern product design, this research contributes to scholarship on indigenous art, cultural continuity, and design innovation, while offering new models for the creative arts in Ghana and beyond.

Keywords: African pottery, motifs, leather technology, cultural heritage, indigenous design, creative industries