Bilums
Bilums
Bilums are beautiful, traditional, intricately-woven bags, made by women throughout Papua New Guinea. The bilum technique of twisting and looping string in a rhythmical movement has been passed down through the generations. The process could almost be described as stitching, but in Papua New Guinea it is known by all as ‘bilum.’
Â
How are they made?
Heritage bilums are made from a variety of foraged fibrous tissues such as those of the Tulip Tree and the Pandanus Palm. The fibres are twisted into string and often dyed by hand. This labour-intensive process is carried out to create bilums for cultural rituals and tribal exchanges. To save time and to increase their rate of production, PNG women have turned to man-made yarn that is available in a myriad of colours, rather than using the tree fibres. This has made a huge impact on their appearance, bringing a distinctly contemporary aesthetic to them.
