BASKETS and other woven items

Weaving of baskets and bilums has been a common craft in PNG for hundreds of years, due to the usefulness of these items and the easy availability of weaving materials from the "bush".

Baskets made of plant fibres have traditionally functioned as containers for carrying and storing food from the gardens. Due to the easy availability of raw materials, in the past baskets were roughly and loosely woven and replaced when they became rotten or damaged.

Over the past 50 years the demands of urban dwellers for quality, long-lasting housewares has seen the development of more refined basketry. The most skilled form of basket-weaving seen in Papua New Guinea today is the tightly woven "Buka-ware" which originated in the Bougainville area and uses all natural materials. This style of basketry was later adopted by Highlands handcrafters and accordingly these items are also now commonly known as "Mendi baskets" (named after a town in the Highlands). This genre includes carry baskets, serving trays and heatproof table mats (see picture).

Bilums (carrying bags) were traditionally woven from natural twine rolled from dried plant fibres. They were un-dyed and used mainly for carrying loads in the village, including firewood, vegetables and children. Traditional style bilums are tied at the two ends and mounted on the forehead with the bilum hanging behind.

With the advent of traders in the 1900s, bilum-makers started using imported factory-made twine which was easier to work with and made bilums stronger and longer-lasting than bush twine. Factory-made twine also comes in various different colours which allows weavers to produce a kaleidoscope of brightly coloured patterns in their bilums. Bilums are woven from a single strand of string which is pulled through the weave hundreds of times as the bilum takes shape.

Since the introduction of the cash economy over the past 50 years, people found it necessary to carry cash and personal papers and items with them and bilum-makers began to produce a new type of bilum, the shoulder bilum, which is now commonly carried by both men and women all over Papua New Guinea. Shoulder bilums are often perceived as a status symbol whereas traditional-style bilums are still associated with hard work.

There are two types of shoulder bilum: the long-strap and the short-strap. The short-strap shoulder bilum is designed to keep the mouth of the bilum up under the armpit, safe from pickpockets and bag-snatchers. Short-strap shoulder bilums are often carried by women in urban areas, as women are the main targets of these petty thieves in markets and other crowded places. Long-strap shoulder bilums are more commonly carried by men.

On this page are examples of various types of baskets and bilums available, both traditional style and contemporary style. Note that these are not pictures of actual items available but samples of types. Items supplied will be similar and in some cases identical to the pictures shown.

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