Mionomehi Oriseegé (Ancestral Paths): Barkcloth from Omie
Past exhibition
Hilda Mekio PNG, Omie- Emate, b. 1978
Nuni’e, jö’o sor’e, visuanö’e, sabu ahe ohu’o dahoru’e
natural pigments on nioge (barkcloth)
109 x 68.5 cm
832036
Design of the eye, teeth of the river fish, spots of the wood-boring grub and Omie mountains. The concentric square motif is nuni'e, the design of the eye. The unui'e...
Design of the eye, teeth of the river fish, spots of the wood-boring grub and Omie mountains.
The concentric square motif is nuni'e, the design of the eye. The unui'e design can also be found woven on armlets and waist belts which are made from numise (yellow orchid fibre), jukire (black orchid fibre) and ninube (brown orchid fibre). Between the nunui'e designs are a combination of two designs - dahoru'e, the design of the Omie mountains and visuano'e, the teeth of the river fish. The spots are a design called sabu ahe representing the spots which can be seen on the sides of a wood-boring grub. This grub is acred to Omie people as it plays an important part within the creation story of how Huvaimo (Mt Lamington) came to be volcanic. It is a traditional sor'e (tattoo design) which was most commonly tattooed running in one line under both eyes. The border and the band that runs through the work are known as orriseege (paths/pathways) and provide a compositional framework for the design.
The concentric square motif is nuni'e, the design of the eye. The unui'e design can also be found woven on armlets and waist belts which are made from numise (yellow orchid fibre), jukire (black orchid fibre) and ninube (brown orchid fibre). Between the nunui'e designs are a combination of two designs - dahoru'e, the design of the Omie mountains and visuano'e, the teeth of the river fish. The spots are a design called sabu ahe representing the spots which can be seen on the sides of a wood-boring grub. This grub is acred to Omie people as it plays an important part within the creation story of how Huvaimo (Mt Lamington) came to be volcanic. It is a traditional sor'e (tattoo design) which was most commonly tattooed running in one line under both eyes. The border and the band that runs through the work are known as orriseege (paths/pathways) and provide a compositional framework for the design.