Bilum Natural Bark Weave - Natural, Purple & Sea Green Small

This bilum is made from woven bark and natural dyes, this small bilum weave will expand as you fill it and will hold its shape.

Size: the opening is 22cm wide, the bottom is 48cm wide, body of ag 29cm height, the strap is 58cm long

Colours: Natural bark, Purple & Sea Green

In the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, particularly around Goroka, bilum weaving is more than a craft—it is a generational practice deeply embedded in women’s lives, passed from mother to daughter over centuries. Women gather in communal spaces, often weaving while sharing stories, raising children, and supporting one another. Traditionally using natural fibres made from the bark of local trees such as the tulip tree (Hibiscus tiliaceus), these women twist and loop each thread by hand, embedding personal and cultural narratives into every bag.

For many, especially single mothers and women with limited education, bilum weaving is the primary source of income and a pathway to economic independence. Visionary leaders like Florence Jaukae Kamel, known as the "Bilum Meri," have transformed this ancestral art into a platform for empowerment, founding cooperatives, training weavers, and advocating for women's rights. Under her leadership, bilum designs have been showcased on international runways and used in advocacy campaigns to highlight gender-based violence and reproductive health. 

Each bilum not only tells a story through its patterns—signifying life stages, resilience, and social identity—but also represents the strength and creativity of the women who make them, binding tradition, survival, and self-expression into a single woven thread.