Ethiopian Textiles

Weaving and Textile Crafts in Ethiopia as Ancient as the Land Itself

Legend speaks of a wealthy, powerful and beautiful queen who was so wise and noble that an equally legendary king fell in love with her. From their union, a nation was birthed.

I can imagine a tall woman with a noble carriage wearing fine colorful silks, sumptuous cottons and brilliant jewels. One can also imagine a gracious people, respected and prosperous. Envision a fertile land, lush with green, and the rise of a majestic city.

This land is Ethiopia. And the queen is someone we all may have heard of — the Queen of Sheba. It is no wonder then that Ethiopia boasts of thousands of years of a proud history as one of the oldest nations on the African continent. Often referred to as the "Cradle of Humanity," here both ancient humans as well as a dazzling 3,000 year old city, Axum, have been unearthed.

Textile trade and crafts have been well-known in the region for perhaps equally as long. There is a lot of evidence that the early Ethiopians traded in silk, ivory, jewels and spices with Egypt, Arabia and India.

Moreover, it is also recognized that Ethiopia played a huge part in the development of farming and the domestication of plants. Of these, one of the most important is cotton.

Ancient workers would harvest the cotton pods and send them over to the spinners to make into fine threads; which would then be woven in pit-looms to make the soft, sumptuous cotton Ethiopia is known for. Both men and women would participate in the different stages of cotton fabric production. The pit-looms themselves are indicators of the ancient trading network between the early civilizations. Pit-looms, so called because they are looms propped on a pit dug into the ground, and can be found all across the Middle East all the way to India.

These pit-looms are used by four key Ethiopian ethnic groups, the Tigray, Amhara, Dorze and Gurage people, to make thin muslin shawls called shamma, as well as thick, heavy shawls known as kutta.

Shamma is commonly white and are usually adorned with colorful borders, called tibeb, which are made from weaving the weft of the fabric in unique and interesting patterns.

The colors are worked into the pattern by using cotton thread dyed with natural pigments. To this day as in the ancient times, native Ethiopians can still be seen wearing these traditional shawls.

Ethiopian cotton is also used to make traditional clothing from various ethnic groups such as the chemises of the Christian groups and the long dresses often worn by Muslim women.

In recent times, however, the overthrow of the centuries old monarchy, insurgency, drought and famine have challenged the Ethiopian way of life. It is only in the last two decades that democracy has been restored in the country, resulting in the slow but sure rebirth of its culture, government, and artistic legacy. While poverty and other social problems are still an immense challenge, renewed attention towards the artisan culture of weaving, dyeing and embroidery skills of the Ethiopians may serve as a lifeline to its citizens; particularly to women.

Today, interest groups have been tapping the talents of skilled Ethiopian weavers to produce high-quality shawls and accessories for sale in foreign markets. And, since women and children are the segment of society that's usually most affected by crisis, a lot of focus has been given to providing indigenous women with the opportunities to reconnect with the skills of their ancestors.

Through fair trade policies, these women are ensured fair wages, access to health care and medication, and comfortable working conditions. Of particular interest are former sex workers who can now live a life of dignity, self-empowerment and safety away from the harsh realities of sex work in Ethiopia.

There are many groups who are assisting with the revivial of Ethiopian arts but, more importantly its people — Ethiopian women, children and men, which lend to national recovery and brighter futures.

Finally, if the Queen of Sheba would still be alive to witness life in her kingdom, on one hand, she may be dismayed at the prevalence of social crisis' that she would find there. On the other, she may be gladdened to see that there is the effort of her countrywomen and people around the world to restore Ethiopia's artisan crafts, working to  revive and preserve Ethiopia's historic legacy for the present and future generations.

References:

1. Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.org

2. Paul Halsall. "Ancient History Sourcebook: Accounts of Meröe, Kush, and Axum, c. 430 BCE - 550 CE." Internet Ancient History Sourcebook. Article online at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/nubia1.html.

3. The Embassy of Ethiopia – Israel, http://www.ethioemb.org.il/.

4. John Gillow. "The Cotton Shawls of Ethiopia." African Textiles. USA: Chronicle Books, 2009. 160-164.