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Cultural Context

clothing; national dress

Iconographic Meaning

The embroidery on this netela indicate that it is from central Ethiopia as the oda tree, featured in the embroidery, has significance in Oromo culture.

Description

Matching shawl for cotton dress (Ca36 a). The shawl is white and rectangular, with a black oda tree motif arranged in a staggered double row on both ends.

Specific Techniques

Like other Ethiopian shawls, the netela has historically been woven on a horizontal pit loom, usually by two male weavers at once. The colourful weft borders are known as tibeb.

History Of Use

Shawl, or netela, worn with dress (Ca36 a); hand woven from indigenous cotton. Women spin the cotton and often wear the shawls, men do the weaving. The shawl (netela) border is commonly worn over the left shoulder, but different religious and ethnic groups wear the netela differently. Amongst Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, the netela is worn as everyday wear as well as at church, on public holidays, at weddings and funerals. Muslim Ethiopians wear the netela only at weddings and funerals. Different folding and wrapping techniques indicate which occasion is being observed.