Design: Hand-Woven Lighting Inspired by Traditional Ethiopian Basket Weaving

The Abyssinia Lamp by PET LAMP and Salem’s Ethiopia [Ethiopia]

[Image credit: Abyssinia Single Lamps – PET Lamp]

The Abyssinia Lamp is a collection of colourful handwoven lighting inspired by the techniques and visual languages of traditional Ethiopian basket weaving. The collection was designed and produced by PET Lamp in a joint venture with a local craft workshop and retailer, Salem’s Ethiopia. Produced by highly skilled artisans in Addis Abba the main feature of the lighting collection are the striking woven lampshades, which draw on a diverse range of local cultural patterns, infused with bold colour palettes rendered in heavy, durable materials.

[Image credit: Abyssinia Single Lamps – PET Lamp]

PET Lamp is a project that began in 2011 in Madrid, Spain, and is led by a philosophy to make ‘attractive, desirable contemporary objects’. The organisation’s aim is to work with designers and creative businesses from around the world, exploring forms and artisanal cultures to create their unique lighting collections. In addition to Ethiopia, to date, PET Lamp has also worked in Chile and Colombia. Fusing the local artisanal techniques with industrial ones, PET Lamp develops its products using design and production processes that take into consideration ecological issues and the social impact the resulting products will have in the environment. PET Lamp has also exhibited its award-winning designs at some of the world’s most prestigious cultural institutions.

[Image credit: Abyssinia Trio Lamp in the PET Lamp Studio -PET Lamp]

Salem’s Ethiopia is a local retailer and producer of Ethiopian cultural crafts. The company was co-founded by Salem Kassahun, who together with a dedicated team, has fostered a wide network of links to highly skilled artisans from around the country with the aim of providing them with a platform to showcase and retail the products they produce. Salem’s Ethiopia seeks to uphold and share Ethiopia’s traditional and creative culture through products that incorporate the country’s longstanding cotton and weaving heritage, embroidery, basket-weaving, and religious symbolism.

[Image credit: Abyssinia Cluster of Six Lamps – PET Lamp]

Available from PET Lamp, The Abyssinia Lamp comes as a single lamp or as a linked collection of three or six shades.

Additional details:
The Abyssinia Lamp Collection is currently priced from: €540-€3240
For further information about PET Lamp visit: www.petlamp.org
For further information about Salem’s Ethiopia visit: www.salemsethiopia.com

[Image credits: All images belong to PET Lamp. If downloaded and used elsewhere please credit accordingly.]