TIGRAY COSTUME

BY: GROUP ONE

 Tigrean Cultural Profile

Tigray is the northernmost province of Ethiopia.

The Tigreans number about five million.

The Tigreans speak Tigrinya. It has its own alphabet.

Tigrinya is derived from Geez

 History and Politics

 Axumaite kingdom was once very powerful and had tremendous

influence around present day Red sea countries.

 It left rich architectural and archaeological heritage of rock-hewn

churches and monuments.

 It was a highly literate society, soon developing an alphabet, and it is

from the language Geez.
 Tigray costume
• Traditional Tigray
clothing is white,
which is regarded as
Christian, with little
adornment.
• The shirt extends to
just above the knee
for laymen and to
just below the knee
for priests and
deacons.
 Tigray costume
• Tigray women’s are usually wearing a long gown of soft cotton called kemis, a long full

sleeve that is embroidered at the neck, cuffs and hem.

• Kemis is made of cotton fabric, and typically comes in white, grey or beige shades.

• Many women also wrap a shawl called a netela around the formal dress.

• Over the kemis goes a shemma, or light cotton length, usually with a border that matches the

trimming on the dress.

• The tibeb design may contain geometrical figures, purely fanciful forms or classic such as

star and cross.

 Event outfit-Ashenda Festival Tigrai

• Ashenda is a unique Tigraian traditional festival which takes place in

August to mark the ending of fasting called filseta.

• This event is mostly for girls and young women.

• The young women and girls dress the tilfi, decorated with amazing
embroidery from the neck to toe in front of the dress.

• The girls also adorned themselves with array of beautiful jewelry.

 Hair style of Tigray
• Women in Tigrai ware Variety of hairstyles based on their age and marital status.

• Young girls shave their hair on the side of their head leaving some hair at the back
of the head and around the head.

• There are many styles of braiding from the very fine called gilbich to a course one
called albaso.

• The Tigrai women hair style is unique to the people of Tigrai.

• Braids looks an art more than the hairstyle.

 Body decorations
• Tigray women decore
themselves with tattoos
and some decorational
systems.

• Mostly body decorations

are permanent and done
around the neck and the
hand of the women’s.
  
Used materials

• Tigray people use many materials to

make their clothing from ancient
ones.

• The materials include the materials

used in making the shemma

• Some materials are: Netela(woven

cotton), thread, embroidery thread,
and others jewelry’s and accessories.
 Ornament and motif (design pattern).
• Mostly Ornamentation on their
garment is done by embroidery.

• By embroidery they create many

motif or design pattern.

• Their design pattern include cross,

geez number and letters and,
geometric and abstract designs.
 Accessory and jewelry

• The jewelry that is worn by

Tigrai women is also very
unique to the region it is usually
made mainly of gold and silver
and sometimes copper.
• These accessories include hand
bar, golden necklace, golden
earrings, mesob above head,
and the others.
• Mostly they are wearable and
careable.