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 yarn, looped in a tight interlocking figure eight loop. The body of the bag is yellow, with a red and greenTrukai logo on it. Red text "Trukai," is looped in at the center of the bag, but the rest of the design is embroidered and therefore slightly raised. Green stylized rice tassels along the top. Below that are two red shapes that may be eyes, followed by the word 'trukai', below which is are red and green semicircular shapes, possibly representing a mouth. Yellow fringe along the side edges of the bag. A single handle, yellow with three sets of green and red stripes. On both sides, there is a slight discoloration near the top of the body of the bag. Donor notes: Cost, 50 kina. "Since the 1970s Trukai has been a major agriculture company in Papua New Guinea. It is best known for its rice, and the bilum invokes the company's distinct logo. 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."
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: E435179-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Bag
physicalDescription: label: Length
content: 47 cm
label: Width
content: 40 cm
label: Length - Body
content: 27 cm
label: Length - Handle
content: 21 cm