Skirt Item Number: Ee9 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Dark red cotton rectangle skirt with a series of fine yellow and green woven stripes horizontally across the fabric in the middle and along the edges. Running vertically in the centre is a woven chevron pattern in yellow, green, dark red, black and white.

History Of Use

The 'punning galle' is the most common type of galle in the Padem-Minyong section of the Adi tribes. Women wear this fabric rectangle wrapped around the lower half of their bodies secured by tucking in the corner at the waist. The most important part of the material culture of the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh is weaving. There is an intensely personal nature to the clothing which is made by a family for its own use. Weaving is associated with many taboos which vary from group to group. It is considered dangerous to talk about clothing or to wear something worn by another person. Clothing is usually buried with its owner.

Iconographic Meaning

The design on the 'pore' (bold centre stripe) is called 'amik' or eye.

Cultural Context

worn by women

Item History

What

Name
Skirt
Identification Number
Ee9
Type of Item
skirt
Material
cotton fibre and dye
Manufacturing Technique
dyed and woven
Overall
height 124.6 cm, width 92.1 cm

Who

Culture
Adi
Previous Owner
Arunachal Pradesh Museum Shop and Stephen Inglis
Received from
Museum of Anthropology Donations Fund (Funding source) and Stephen Inglis (Seller)

Where

Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
Made in
Siang, Arunachal Pradesh, India

When

Creation Date
before 1976
Collection Date
during 1976
Ownership Date
before December 2, 1977
Acquisition Date
on December 2, 1977

Other

Item Classes
textiles
Condition
good
Accession Number
0411/0023