- Collection type
- Object
- Description
- Sample of plant fibre. [FB 25/04/2012]
- Geographical reference
- West Papua Central Highlands Baliem Valley Ndani
- Cultural groups
- Ndani
- Date
- Acquisition information
- Donated: 2009
- Materials and processes
- Material Plant Fibre
- Object numbers
- Accession number: 2009.3.4
- Research and responses
Note from donor [in RDF] These are skirts for married women made by the Dani tribe in Papua (The Indonesian side/west side of Papua New Guinea). Once a woman is married they make a different kind of 'chord' skirt made by chewing plant fibres and then plaiting them together. These ones are made from leaves. The tradition is dying out as we speak because the pressure from Javanese immigrants and Indonesian 'progress' means many now wear western clothing. I hope you have space to keep them safe - they were given to me by a family in exchange for a piglet but I thought they would be of interest to you, especially when they are no longer made which is a day that is coming fast. [FB 25/04/2012]
The Dani people (also spelt Ndani) are one of the most populous tribes in the highlands of West Papua. The Dani are one of the most well-known ethnic groups due to the small numbers of tourists who visit the the Baliem Valley area where they predominate. [FB 27/04/2012]
See Robert Gardner 1965 film 'Dead Birds' & Gardner, Robert. (1968). Gardens of War: Life and Death in the New Guinea Stone Age. New York: Random House. [FB 27/04/2012]
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