New Guinea Highland traditional string bilum with beanie

This is one of a group of bilums collected in Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the 70s, These string bags, or bilum as they are referred to in Pidgin English are used by men and women to transport commodities.  Traditionally, men carried one bilum, while women carried several. Large bilums were used to transport crops from gardens to family dwellings, or to carry produce for sale or exchange at local markets. Smaller ones contained tools or objects necessary for daily activities. In some regions of the country, bilums cradled babies. Like men, women have adapted bilums to the necessities of urban life: looping techniques have become smaller and tighter so that bilums have become solid and opaque.

Interestingly, although traditional bilum shapes and traditional twisting techniques have evolved to create new bilums, traditional techniques and open looped forms continue to coexist alongside modern bilums. A wide range of commercial yarns are available in most PNG markets.  The availability of these new yarns at reasonable prices has deeply transformed the nature of bilums. While traditional dyeing techniques only allowed women to create small contrasted areas of patterns while looping bags, the large variety of colours now available permits shading subtle nuances of colour. This offers women opportunities to create new patterns or to increase the complexity of existing patterns. 

This bilum is a traditional form, made with natural bush string  which has been dyed.  The beanie is made from cuscus fur and has small red feathers added as decoration

Bag size 36cm x 60 cm wide excluding handle

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