2004.56.20.7

Collection type

Object

Description

Part of a complete woman's dance costume: One of six ornaments worn on the lower or upper arm, made from strips of pandanus leaf which have been shaped into an imitation flower and attached to a woven pandandus leaf arm band. [JP 18/6/2004]

Long description

The imitation flower consists of a cluster of undyed, and brown dyed, long and narrow palm leaf strips with zigzag edges, surrounded by four petals made from four palm leaf strips which also have zigzag edges. These are bound together with dark brown wool yarn. The flower is attached with copper wire to a band of folded and woven palm leaf strip with a zigzag ('shark's tooth pattern') edge. Onto the back of this band is machine stitched a long thin piece of pink cotton textile used for tieing the ornament onto the arm of the wearer. [JP 18/6/2004]

Geographical reference

Kiribati

Oceania > Micronesia > Kiribati

Person

Field collector Rachel Robinson

PRM source Rachel Robinson

Date / Period

Date made: Before 03/2001

Date collected

February 1999 to March 2001

Acquisition information

Donated: 2004

Materials and processes

Material Palm Leaf Plant, Material Pigment, Material Cotton Seed Fibre Textile Plant, Material Cotton Seed Fibre Yarn Plant, Process Woven, Process Dyed, Process Stitched

Dimensions

Length x Width x Height 170 x 35 x 100 mm excl. fabric ties

Object numbers

Accession number: 2004.56.20.7

Research and responses

Etête, of a different style cut with 'swallow-tail ends' are described on page 165 of The Material Culture of Kiribati by Gerd Koch (Institute of Pacific Studies of the University of the South Pacific 1986). They are worn by women and girls on the upper and lower arms with the flowers pointing upwards when the arms are outstretched. [JP 18/6/2004]

Search terms: Ornament, Dance, Arm Ornament