Wooden ceremonial paddle. The paddle consists of a forked, elliptical-shaped end with two small, inward facing notches, an intricately carved wooden middle section which extends out from the neck of the paddle in a rectangular shape, and a top section consisting of woven fibres covering the wooden neck and attached strings of multi-coloured seeds and various feathers. The seeds are grey-blue, white and red-grey in colour and are strung along one edge of the woven fibre casing, forming small loops from which the ends of the white and brown feathers are attached. The mid-section of the paddle is indicative of a paddle blade, with eight cuts through the wood in half moon shapes and incised with v-shaped patterns, winding lines and curled abstract motifs. Extending in either direction from the centre are incised abstract shapes generally following an elaborate v-shaped pattern. The forked end of the paddle is carved in the shape of an elongated half oval and is undecorated.

Plain wooden rattle. The rattle’s head is made of two rounded, oblong pieces of deeply concave wood, hollowed on the inside, attached to each other on both long edges by strands of plant fibre (cedar root?), threaded through holes bored in the wood. The head is undecorated. Inside are noisemakers, possibly seeds. The handle is long, thin, and cylindrical, made of two similarly sized and shaped pieces of wood carved to fit together, hollow on the inside and held together by three metal nails. A small tuft of cotton thread is attached around the bottom nail on both sides. A decorative jog has been created in the connection point between the two pieces of wood on both sides of the handle.

Ceremonial bark cloth costume. The garment is a vest, slightly longer in front, completely open along the sides, with narrow shoulders and a deep v-neck at front. On the front a large toucan bird is attached at centre, wings spread to the sides, beak pointing downward. Linear designs have been lightly carved into the beak. To the bird’s sides two smaller beaks are sewn to the cloth, as are groupings of feathers dyed red, yellow and brown, several with seeds at their centre. Yellow and red feathers surround the v-neck. On the back of the garments is a smaller bird, black, with a serrated yellow and black beak and a strip of red and white feathers on the tail. Large, dyed feathers splay outward from the top of the body. Portions of bird beaks surround the creature. On front and back of vest, the bark cloth is heavily painted with zigzag, ‘x’ and other motifs in brown, yellow and red. Small, oval, black and red seeds line the edges and neck of the vest, as well as a decorative strip of feathers near the bottom where additional bark cloth has been sewn to the garment, front and back. Small dyed feathers hang from quills below this strip, while long feathers dangle from the bottom of the vest. These are dyed blue yellow and orange.

Rectangular basketry bag woven in a diagonal pattern. Long grass fringe at both bottom and top. Decorated with multi-coloured fabric strips attached to bad with beaded and seed thread. The top three attachments also hold carved teeth. The handle is five twisted pieces joined together by a knot at top.

Woven bilum with curved bottom and handle. Fibre surface is decorated with a geometric pattern in pink and purple. Bag is also decorated with seed and feather ornaments, attached with beaded ties, all over one side and the egdes. The woven handle has small cowrie shells wound around it.

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.