Sarakim Village String Bag, #7023 $500.00

This large, brightly colored bilum bag comes from the Sarakim Village of the Wosera area of Papua New Guinea. These traditional string bags, used to carry everything from groceries to babies, are popular in the cities of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia Papua due to their location in the bush – a main material for these traditional accessories.

In the home, bilum bags are used to store food, clothing, and other belongings. In the men's haus tambaran, or worship house, bilums are used to store ceremonial items. Virtually everyone in the New Guinea area carries one.

Traditionally, bilums are made of bush twine from the inner bark of trees, however, some villagers use commercial twine as well. They are woven in a continuous figure-eight knotting technique.

These New Guinea string bags typically feature vibrantly colored patterns made from grasses, orchid bark as well as natural and commercial dyes.

This bilum measures 37 inches wide at the widest part as shown in the photo, however, the string bags tend to expand quite a bit. It is 22 inches tall not including the strap.


#7023 Bilum bag, Sarakim Village, Wosera area, Papua New Guinea