Description
A bilum is a bag unique to PNG, hand-woven mainly by women using natural fibre and more recently using acrylic and wool yarn. Bilums are hand-woven using traditional weaving techniques and skills that have been passed down through many generations.
The natural fibre is sourced from the bark of a shrub from the surrounding vegetation. It is then soaked in water to soften the fibre, then dyed using wild berries fruit and roots. Then dried in the sun and stripped. The dried strips are then twisted mainly by women by placing the strips on their thighs and rolled in a backward and forward motion using the palm of their hands forming long threads. The threads are then woven into bilum bags.
MEET MAGGIE Bilums and Baskets was established by Maggie T Kera in 2021. Born and raised in Mt Hagen, Papua New Guinea, Maggie first arrived in Australia in 2003 for studies. Maggies journey began at university in Melbourne when people kept complementing, “that is a beautiful bag.” Like many Papua New Guineans, her bilums were hand-made by her mum, aunts and grandma and were one-offs and unique – not two bilums are the same. She grew up in the village seeing women weave bilums, use bilums to transport produce from the garden to homes or to the markets and use them as hammocks for carrying babies. The core focus of Maggies business is providing the artisan weavers with the means for better access to health, education and help with their day-to-day needs. It also acknowledges those customers that support the vision of making a positive impact for the weavers and the communities that they are part of. Maggie believes that every individual is part of something bigger than ‘themselves’ and each one of us can make a difference and have a positive impact on others.
Packaged with information about the artist and artwork.
Dimensions (approx): 40cm x 40cm plus handle.
Royalties from this product directly benefit the artist and their community.
