There are many different styles of bilums (woven bags). The weaving styles and colors can indicate where you are from. The pictures below show four different styles. One is a Sepic style made from bush rope and chicken feathers. One is a ‘male’ bilum. It is made from bush rope and covered in pig’s teeth and shells and is supposed to be handed down to the men in the family. (I was instructed by my village father to pass it down to my son if I ever had one. J) One is a Madang style bilum made from a colored, plastic string with different designs and loose string hanging down as decorations. One is a highlands bilum made from a wool string.
While working bilums is work for the ladies, not every woman knows how to make them. It is something a mother passes on to her daughter. A man does not make bilums. Most don’t know how, but even if they did, they would normally not admit to it.
There are different ways to wear a bilum. Some wear it on their shoulder. like a purse. Some, especially in the city, wear it around their necks to prevent pick-pocketing. But it is most commonly worn on their heads with the strap across their forehead and the bag itself resting on their back.
While I was in the village, my village mothers taught me how to make a Madang style bilum. Mine is very basic and took me much longer to make then theirs did, but making bilums with the ladies was one of my favorite things to do in the village. My village family was also very generous. On my last night in the village, we had a big party at which point women from the village presented my roommate and me with bilums they had made. They told us to take them back to America and make all of our family and friends jealous J. But now when I use one of my bilums, I think of my village family.
While working bilums is work for the ladies, not every woman knows how to make them. It is something a mother passes on to her daughter. A man does not make bilums. Most don’t know how, but even if they did, they would normally not admit to it.
There are different ways to wear a bilum. Some wear it on their shoulder. like a purse. Some, especially in the city, wear it around their necks to prevent pick-pocketing. But it is most commonly worn on their heads with the strap across their forehead and the bag itself resting on their back.
While I was in the village, my village mothers taught me how to make a Madang style bilum. Mine is very basic and took me much longer to make then theirs did, but making bilums with the ladies was one of my favorite things to do in the village. My village family was also very generous. On my last night in the village, we had a big party at which point women from the village presented my roommate and me with bilums they had made. They told us to take them back to America and make all of our family and friends jealous J. But now when I use one of my bilums, I think of my village family.
Top left: Sepic bilum made with bush rope and chicken feathers. Top right: Male bilum made with bush rope and pig's teeth and shells. Bottom left: Madang style bilum made from a colored plastic string with extra string for decoration. Bottom right: Me with my highlands bilum made from a wool string.