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Dance apron

Title

Dance apron

Year/Period

First half of the 20th century

Region

Papua New Guinea

Object Type

aprons (main garments)

Material

fiber, glass (material)

Technique

beading (process)

Dimension

Object size: 61.0 x 60.0 cm

Accession No.

2018-00958

Collection of

Asian Civilisations Museum

Credit Line

Gift of the City of Delft, Netherlands

This dance apron from Cenderawasih Bay in West Papua was painstakingly fashioned from imported glass beads. These would have been obtained by traders based on the island of Biak, an entrepot trading centre frequented by Moluccan, Bugis and even Chinese traders. Aside from being a part of festive attire, such valuable beaded items would also make up an important part of a dowry.