IDNO

T.132871.MST

Description

On Strathern's listing: Køi wal finished, being held up for inspection.

Place

Oceania Melanesia; Papua New Guinea; Western Highlands Province; near Togoba; Rokopa moka pena

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Photographer

Strathern, Marilyn (later Prof., Dame)

Collector / Expedition

Date

2 September 1967

Collection Name

Strathern Collection

Source

Strathern, Marilyn (Prof., Dame)

Format

Colour Transparency

Primary Documentation

Other Information

T.132858.MST - T.132890.MST were identified by Marilyn Strathern as Set 45a.

Publication: Similar image [T.132868.MST] published in 'Self-Decoration in Mount Hagen', 1971, after p.164 and captioned: “Colour plate 7 Feather plaque (køi wal). Set against the russet fan of the Red bird of paradise, crown plumes from the King of Saxony divide up a panel, here coloured with tiny feathers from parrots, lorikeets, water fowl, and a white-feathered owl”. [KH 21/11/2016]

Related Archive: Draft caption for similar image [T.132868.MST] in document ‘Caption to colour pics used 'Self-Decoration in Mount Hagen', 1971 1-15’ with the following text: “Køi wal.” [Paper Archives will be deposited at Girton College, Cambridge, date to be confirmed. KH 21/11/2016]

Context: køi wal = ‘a bag of birds’, i.e. various kinds of plumage stitched together (p.29). To from a plaque, part of headdress of moka-givers. (Melpa). [Strathern's Glossary word document, JD 4/26/2017]

Related Archive: Marilyn summarizes her 1967 field notebook as follows: “As soon as I returned from Pangia (Southern Hlds) to Hagen (I was staying at Kelua) (Western Hlds), I heard of several moka (Hagen ceremonial exchange occasion at which people decorate) feeding into each other, eg the Palka [tribe] were waiting for the Ndika [tribe] Roklamb [clan] to give them shells before they could pass them on to the Kungunuka. The Roklamb were also giving shells to the Kløpka. The Roklamb would be following these shell gifts with individual donations of pigs to diverse partners.
My principal helper, Oke, knew I was interested in decorations particularly. On Sept 2nd, we went to Togoba moka pena (ceremonial ground) where a small number of men spent the morning arranging their decorations, and then practiced dancing. Women were assiduous in helping. The dancers had an audience of women, girls and boys, and older men who criticized and advised them. Some Palka recipients-to-be drifted in to see how they were getting on. (At this point the shells were in the men’s house.)
Reason for the shell gifts: making both a wua peng (‘man’s head’ payment = war death compensation) and a payment to a set of ‘non agnates’. (1) The war compensation was for the death of an ally, namely of a Penambe man who lived with the Palka when the Palka were allies (kui wua) of the Ndika Roklamb and attacked by their common enemy the Ndika Mokuka. The Roklamb had long ago compensated the Palka for Palka men who were killed helping them – but this occasion was because of this one Penambe man. (2) The ‘non agnates’ were three Kløpka men, related through women to the Roklamb who took them in, but are now dispersed; the gift was to ‘release’ them from their obligations to the Roklamb, since they will pay back pigs for the shells (ie the shells are the last ‘help’ the Roklamb will give them – for which they will then make a handsome return). Pigs were also given to individual moka partners.” [Strathern's word document file]

Related Archive: Marilyn Strathern lists “Before the Ndika Roklamb moka: practice dancing.” [Strathern's word document file]

Bibliographic Reference: See M. Strathern, Self-Decoration in Mount Hagen (1971: 71-73)

A grant from the Wenner-Gren Foundation Historical Archives Program supported the documentation and preservation of the Strathern photographic collection. [JD 6/11/2017]