Beaded Apron “Sireuw”

Cenderawasih Bay, Western New Guinea, Indonesia, first half 20th c.

Beads, natural fiber, and cotton trade cloth

20” h x 22” w (50.8 x 55.88 cm)

Price: $1,100

 
 

A striking fiber-sown apron made of green, black, yellow, and red trade beads and fringed with cotton trade cloth. Worn by female Papuan dancers in the Cenderawasih Bay (Geelvink Bay) region of western Guinea, these aprons stand at the visual crossroads of Oceania and island Southeast Asia.

REFERENCES

Maxwell, Robyn. Textiles of Southeast Asia Tradition, Trade and Transformation. Melbourne:

Oxford UP for the Australian National Gallery, 1990.

Neich, Roger, and Fulimalo. Pereira. Pacific Jewelry and Adornment from the Collections of

Auckland Museum. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2004.

Sosrowardoyo, Tara. Indonesian Art: Treasures of the National Museum, Jakarta. Hong Kong:

Periplus Editions (HK), 1998.

Stokmans, Michiel Elsevier., and René van der. Star. Ethnic Jewellery from Africa, Asia, and

Pacific Islands: the René Van Der Star Collection. Amsterdam: The Pepin Press, 2002.