Details of mahudano'e - pig's tusks (traditional Omie wealth)

Catalog Number : 28157
Size : 91cm x 71cm
Medium : natural pigments on nioge (barkcloth)
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Elizabeth has painted a design called mahudano'e, pig's tusks. Pig's tusks are the traditional form of wealth for Omie tribespeople and are often used for brides price. During ceremonies, rituals and dancing pig's tusk necklaces are worn by men and sometimes, although very rarely, by high-ranking women elders. The pig's tusks have mouthpieces which male dancers bite, displaying the object to make themselves look like fierce warriors. In the time of the ancestors when tribal conflicts, village raids and retribution were an everyday part of life, no doubt this would have served a very important purpose. Elizabeth was taught this design from her mother Martha Ruruve, a Sahuote clanwoman from Gorabuna village. The border as well as the lines that run through the work are known as orriseege or 'pathways' and provide the compositional framework for the design.