History witnessed that the development of crafts were very slow and took places in or around places where kings were settling. In this regards the greatest specialization in the 19th century occurred at Gonder, Ankober, Adowa, Harrar and Antalo, which were capital of the country with a large population or else places of religious patronage and asylum. Ethiopian handcrafts have historically been and still are both a skill and way of life. Visitors to Ethiopia could thus experience for themselves what is a living museum of a most diverse culture where the old coexists with the new, in harmony in everyday life of the people of Ethiopia. There is a very large number of cultural groups in Ethiopia and it is not surprising that the range of handcrafts should be so enormous and their styles so varied.

The charm and lasting value of an article made by hand depends largely on the intrinsic beauty or enduring utility created by the maker and these qualities in turn depends on the initial design, the craftsmanship and painstaking effort with which it was developed.

Two types of carpets are available from Ethiopia; knotted and woven.  All carpets are handmade from the wool of the fat toweled sheeps of the Ethiopian highlands.  The wool is hand spun and is washed and sun-dried before weaving.
 

The Ethiopian baskets are made and used traditionally in the rural area.  Closed baskets with lids are used for storing grains, seed and food that is used for daily consumption.  Large and medium, open bowl shaped basket are used by women for carrying item on their heads. The small open bowls shaped are used for fruit and bread server. Harer is known for having the finest basketry, with a reputation for design and craftsmanship spreading far beyond the borders of Ethiopia to the East of Africa & other parts of the world.

These baskets are made by the “coil technique”, in which a bundle of dried grass is wrapped with threads of grass or straw and bound together in spiral to create a round or dish distinctive in that they are produced mainly for their decorative value and have considerable social and ritual significance.

The study conducted by the Ministry of Trade and Industry revealed that the potential to go for the export Market of handlooms is high, the country produces assorted handmade household and furnishing textiles that could be exported, The Ethiopian handloom products Export survey report also identified the potential for niche market of table linen, curtains and other textile materials which have high demand and fetch higher and relatively stable prices in the EU market.

Ethiopian entrepreneurs have been exporting handloom products abroad, as a result they have gained considerable experiences in this area. The following exports and manufacturing business enterprises may be contacted for business deals.

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