Pu Aika Aika Akeke (Basket)
date: label: Accession Date
content: 17 May 2017
label: Collection Date
content: 22 Mar 2010
name: label: Collector
content: Dr. Joshua A. Bell
label: Donor Name
content: National Museum of Natural History
notes: label: Notes
content: Basketry bag, plain weave, all undyed brown fibers. Short fringe at rim. Single braided handle.
label: Notes
content: Donor notes: [Purchased for] 5 Kina... Oblong plaited basket made from non-dyed shredded sago leaves. It has a single short side strap and short tassels around the mouth. This akeke was made for use while fishing, to store catch, bait and tools. It has not used. This akeke was made, used and sold by Unis Tony (b. c. 1975; Oreika clan, Lavi Kaupara, Mapaio Village). The palm frond is first cut and the leaves stripped into fibers. Only young green leaves are used. The strips are then placed in the sun to dry for one day. The fibers are then pulled off the palm frond's stem and dyed. Once the fibers are dyed they are gathered and a knot made, which the weaver holds between her toes as she weaves the bag. Weaving time takes any where between 2 days to 1 week, depending on the time the weaver devotes to the bag. Regardless of the type of akeke, women only make them.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 29 May 2018
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Mapaio village, Purari Delta, Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: I'ai (Purari)
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 2058626
label: USNM Number
content: E435171-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Basket
physicalDescription: label: Total Length
content: 59 cm
label: Width
content: 25.5 cm
label: Length - Basket Only
content: 39 cm
label: Length - Handle
content: 19 cm