A darkened armband of woven rattan fibre has a large tassel attached to a short braided rope of bast strings. The tassel consists of bees wax, coix seeds, black cassowary feathers, larger bronze-coloured feathers and long strips of rattan fibre.

Woven bag. The front is adorned with four horizontal stripes consisting of two tightly plaited cords above and below a bar of tan fibre which is woven into ‘v’ shapes. Light grey and brown feathers, some with black tips, drape down, tied with bast string holding coix seeds in diagonal crosses, followed by threads of coix and abrus seeds and cut sections of cassowary quill. More feathers and seeds are inside the bag. The strap is a loose braid of tighter braids of fibre, with two large knots in the middle. The ends of the strap are attached to the back with a knot near the top and continue down the back approximately 20 cm, woven intermittently into the body. A piece of cloth has been attached to the front with ‘Yasiu’ written in ink.

Grass skirt consisting of long ruddy-brown blades of sago leaf attached to a broad, woven waistband of 5 rows and 24 columns, alternating between yellow-brown and dark brown fibres with remnants of red ochre. Four long tassels of tight braids drape from the top of the belt; two with cockatoo feathers at the ends. An undulating double row of coix seeds and a several yellow, blue and green plastic beads are threaded with fine, bright green nylon twine over the top of the belt. The waistband ends are broad loops; the right end has a long, broad, loosely woven braid of tight braids of sago leaf.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

Gift of Myrtle Dietsche Fisher.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.