Bilum Bag
Papua New Guinea
Early 20th century
16 1/2 x 16 3/4 ins (42 x 40 cm); with strap included 30.5 ins. long (77.5 cm)
Looping (knotless netting) technique
Papua New Guinea
Early 20th century
16 1/2 x 16 3/4 ins (42 x 40 cm); with strap included 30.5 ins. long (77.5 cm)
Looping (knotless netting) technique
$700
Provenance: an old (colonial?) German collection. The attached label states: “Tragnetz Finschhafen Deutsch N.Guinea”.
The traditional fiber for bilum bags was the inner bark of the wild tulip tree. The designs were woven into the structure of the bag with some small areas of supplementary color applied to the surface, probably after the weaving was completed, imparting a painterly, watery effect.
