Bilum (net bag); Yarn
date: label: Accession Date
content: 17 May 2017
label: Collection Date
content: 27 Jan 2011
name: label: Collector
content: Dr. Joshua A. Bell
label: Donor Name
content: National Museum of Natural History
notes: label: Notes
content: Bilum (string bag) made of made of white, red, and navy blue yarn, looped in a tight interlocking figure eight loop. The design on the body of the bag is almost identical on each side. It is white with a red horizontal stripe in the middle. The red stripe contains white block lettering that reads “YOUR FIRST CHO”. Above the stripe, there is navy blue text: “ELA MOTORS”. Below the red stripe, is the word "TOYOTA” in navy blue. A red Toyota logo is embroidered on the bottom left. Red, white and navy blue twisted fringe along the edge of both sides, Single handle with blue, red and white stripes. Three red, white, and blue oblong yarn tassels are attached at the top of the handle. Donor notes: Cost, 50 kina. "Established in 1960, Ela Motors is a designated Toyota dealer in Port Moresby, and sells a range of other types of vehicles. “Your First Choice” is a long-standing advertising campaign of the company. Made by Jessica Taro (b. ca. 1980; Lari Clan, Talapiko village of Pangia region of Southern Highlands). For eight years [previous to 2011] Jessica has been making and selling bilums in Port Moresby's Boroko market. This market is known for its bilums and other crafts and is visited by resident expatriates, tourists and weather Papua New Guineans. Jessica lives in the settlement Morata #2, and uses the funds for “subsistence”. She obtains the wool yarn from the wholestore SVS (Super Value Stores) of which there are four branches in Port Moresby. Founded by a Papua New Guinean in Mount Hagen in 1986, by 2011 SVS had expanded into the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga. Jessica was keenly aware of what sold and clearly made this bilum in an attempt to make a quick sale. These advertising bilums or bilums that advertise commodities are very popular within Papua New Guinea but their demand raises and falls with the particular brand. When asked about this bilum - specifically why she made the bilum with this design, Jessica responded, “I want to make a fast sale.”
label: Record Last Modified
content: 22 Aug 2019
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Port Moresby, Boroko Market, New Guinea, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Pangia
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 2058627
label: USNM Number
content: E435180-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Bag
physicalDescription: label: Length
content: 82 cm
label: Width
content: 44.5 cm
label: Length - Body
content: 28 cm
label: Length - Handle
content: 53 cm