Plant Fiber Bilum (Net Bag)
date: label: Accession Date
content: 7 Nov 2019
label: Collection Date
content: 21 Aug 2011
name: label: Collector
content: Dr Barbara Andersen
notes: label: Notes
content: Large bilum (bag) made of natural fiber yarn. Multicolored (very faded grey, purple, red, yellow and white) zigzag pattern. Blue fabric at the end of the handles. Donor notes: Maker, Keamo Movase. Cost: K60. This large working bilum is constructed from string plied from the fibers of the tulip tree (Gnetum gnemon). Two pieces of blue synthetic fabric have been attached to the ends of the handles to cushion the head of the wearer when carrying heavy loads. Bilums of this size are used to transport food or firewood between gardens and household. Colored patterns are produced by rubbing plied string with plants collected for this purpose. Yellow dye is made from turmeric roots, but other colors probably rendered with store-bought dye. Tulip trees do not grow within the immediate village area, so Maimafu women collect fibers near the Wahgi River, at the edge of their territory. Tulip fiber is considered to be of finer quality than that of Ficus species, as it produces a softer and more pliable string. The maker of this bilum is an in-married woman from Karimui (Simbu Province) and describes the (Snake?) pattern as originating in her home area.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 22 Aug 2019
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Maimafu, Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Gimi
label: Culture
content: Chimbu (Salt-Nomane)
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 2077517
label: USNM Number
content: E435196-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Bag
physicalDescription: label: Length - From Mouth To Base
content: 61 cm
label: Width - At Base
content: 81 cm
label: Length - Handles, Each Approx. (Excluding Fabric Ties)
content: 64 cm