Aduvahe sihoti'e nioge ohu'o buboriano'e - Chief's prestige mudcloth (the first appliqued mud-dyed barkcloth design) and beaks of the Papuan Hornbill, 2022
mud-dyed nioge (hand-beaten barkcloth) appliqued with river reed sewing thread
Rosemon Hinana has created an ancestral sihoti'e taliobamé'e (design of the mud). The design was sewn and appliquéd using a flying fox/bat-wing bone needle and a river reed was shredded...
Rosemon Hinana has created an ancestral sihoti'e taliobamé'e (design of the mud). The design was sewn and appliquéd using a flying fox/bat-wing bone needle and a river reed was shredded to create the sewing thread. The late sihoti'e artist, Brenda Kesi (Ariré), has given insight into how "in the old days" of making barkcloths the women had no paints so they would soak the barkcloth in mud, cut the desired pieces and then sew them onto the plain barkcloth. The contrasting effects would result in various bold visual designs.
This is an example of the very first Ömie/Managalas nioge (barkcloth) design ever produced. This sihoti'e nioge (mud-dyed barkcloth) design was only worn by Duvahe (Chiefs) as it is a marker of prestige. The sihoti'e is contrasted upon the plain white barkcloth in bold, striking bands. The paintings of the late artist, Fate Savari (Isawdi), teach us that the striped bands of the early nioge designs were related to garden pathways, ori, and can still be seen in painted form throughout the vast majority of Ömie barkcloth art. The edges of the bands with zig-zags represents buborianö'e—beaks Of the Papuan Hornbill. Hornbills are the largest flying birds that can be found in the Ömie mountains. In one version of the story of how the first Ömie ancestors emerged onto the surface Of the earth from Awai'i underground cave at Vavago, a man used his hornbill beak forehead adornment as a tool to chisel his way through the rock and into the light of the world.
The Ömie creation Story tells Of how the very first sihoti'e nioge was created by Suja, the first Ömie woman and mother Of the world, under instruction from Mina, the first Ömie man, after she experienced her first menstruation. Suja dyed the plain barkcloth in the reddish volcanic river mud at the River Uhojo at the base of the sacred Mount Obo. Suja wore the mud-dyed barkcloth during her menstruation and lived in seclusion in a small hut known as jé'o jarwé (also called ivi'ino övé'tové) for its duration. The mud-dyed barkcloth was symbolic of her procreative power as a woman.
The late Sahuoté clan elder, Albert Sirimi (Nanati), provides some further insight into these mud-dyed and appliquéd types of nioge (barkcloth): "The first mud-dyed harkcloth of our Ancestors was called 'adure'ti'e'. It was very heavy because they were sewn with two layers of barkcloth. The first designs were striped bands, the deep grey colour of the dried volcanic mud contrasting with the lighter colour of the plain, undyed cloth. This type of barkcloth was worn by my clan, the Sahuoté. My mother, Avarro, made this type of barkcloth. Women wore these mud-dyed barkcloth skirts while they were menstruating. "
It is important to note that Rosemon lives in an Ömie village bordering Managalas territory. Ömie legend tells of how in the very beginning when the first ancestors emerged from Awai'i underground cave at Vavago onto the surface of the earth, Ömie and Managalas people were one tribe but later split into two tribes. This is why both Ömie and Managalas people share many of the same ancient barkcoth designs, including sihoti'e. Artists Sarah Ugibari and Ilma Savari (Ajikum'e), who have both ömie and Managalas heritage, both create strikingly similar designs to Rosemon. It is from the sihoti'e taliobam& (design Of the mud) created by all of these artists that we now have a clearer picture of what the earliest Ömie barkloths looked like.