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: Donor notes: [Purchased for] 3 Kina... Oblong plated basket made of shredded dyed sago leaves with dyed sago tassels hanging from mouth of basket. The basket has been dyed with an array of store bought dyes: green (iri 'o – “tree leaf”) and black (moroa). The design is “varia ni kuaie” (Varia just give) which refers to the water going down Purari river during a flood. Varia is an ancestor associated with the Purari River's waters and the water at the time of flood is said to be a skin or canoe that she takes. This is a traditional or totemic design (opa) linked to the Purari River. This akeke was made by Edna Kairi (Lavi Kaupara), (b. c. 1976; Purari Kaunama clan, Lavi Kaupara, Mapaio Village) for sale in Mapaio, Baimuru (town) or Kapuna (regional hospital). Edna bought the dye in Baimuru at one of the trading stores.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 30 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: E435170-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Basket
physicalDescription: label: Total Length
content: 71 cm
label: Width
content: 12.5 cm
label: Length - Basket Only
content: 26 cm
label: Length - Handle
content: 34 cm