Textiles in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island (ATSI) Cultures
What did Aboriginal people wear before European settlement?
Did Textiles exist before European invasion? •Evidence of the ATSI culture in Australia dates back to 60,000 years ago making it the oldest continuous living culture in the world. •Traditionally, textiles hold significant value to many ATSI cultures and were used for a range of purposes. •ATSI people used textiles to make a variety of objects from animal and plant fibres. As such, traditional techniques such as basket weaving, knotting and utilising animal skins were important for manufacturing everyday tools such as baskets for collecting food, nets for fishing and skin cloaks for warmth. They also made ceremonial items such as headgear. •Unfortunately, due to the eradication of many ATSI cultures upon European settlement, much of this traditional knowledge and skills has been lost. |
CloaksFor the vast majority of Aboriginal peoples across the continent, clothing took many forms, and was worn as the demands of the environment required. The colder climates of Tasmania, Victoria and the lower half of New South Wales and South Australia, saw people commonly dressed in full cloaks made of animal skins, covering from their necks down to their feet. Such cloaks could also be found being worn in Western Australia, the northern half of New South Wales, and into the lower half of Queensland, where warmer conditions ensured that they would be worn only on an irregular basis. Waist coverings were more commonly worn in these areas.
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For generations, every aboriginal infant born in southeastern Australia was swaddled in a possum skin pelt covered in symbols explaining their family ties, their lands, and their place in the larger community. The cloak, worn every day and slept in every night, grew with the child; over the years, more possum pelts, loaded with descriptions of new stories and new relationships, were attached to that first panel. And when the person died, the cloak became a burial shroud, depicting a full life story.
Cloaks were traditionally made of a wide range of animal skins. Koori people in Victoria and New South Wales preferred a possum skin cloak, whilst the Noongarpeoples’ of Western Australia had a preference for kangaroo and wallaby. These preferences were shaped by the availability (or the lack of) of the animals in each geographic region. Cloaks are also known to have been made of animals such as quoll, sugar-glider, and emu.
Cloaks were traditionally made of a wide range of animal skins. Koori people in Victoria and New South Wales preferred a possum skin cloak, whilst the Noongarpeoples’ of Western Australia had a preference for kangaroo and wallaby. These preferences were shaped by the availability (or the lack of) of the animals in each geographic region. Cloaks are also known to have been made of animals such as quoll, sugar-glider, and emu.
To produce a cloak the skin of a suitable number of animals was pinned to a flat surface, with any remaining flesh or membranes scraped off, before allowing the skins to dry. The pins were made of either wood or echidna quills. Traditionally, skins were not tanned, so cloaks were decorated with art to enhance the appearance of a cloak, and to add a higher degree of flexibility. Designs were etched into the leather using mussel and oyster shells, bone and stone tools. Once the designs were completed, in most cases a cloak was then painted, using ochre and black pigment. Artwork reflected a range of subjects, including a person’s identity, and representations of Country.
To form a cloak, pelts were sewn together using thread made either from plant fibre, or animal sinew (these are tendons, generally obtained from either a kangaroo or emu). |
Today there are only a small handful of 19th century cloaks remaining, with a majority of these being held in overseas institutions.
There are a number of factors which contribute to the rarity of historic cloaks:
•In some regions ceremony required that people were buried in their cloak, along with their possessions.
•The production of animal skin cloaks was discouraged by Mission managers and Government, and cloaks were replaced with wool blankets. In comparison, the blankets were ineffective in protecting a person from the cold and rain, contributing to the deaths of many Koori people in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
•Organic materials were most commonly used which do not preserve well, being known for their quality of breaking down naturally and easily. Leather exposed to the elements is not as durable as artefacts made of wood or stone. Cloaks would deteriorate and would be repaired, or replaced several times over during the owner’s lifespan.
•Additionally, many Aboriginal nations wore minimal clothing due to their hot Australian deserts environments.
The oldest known cloak is the Hunter Valley cloak, which forms part of the collections held at the Smithsonian Institute, in Washington D.C. The cloak was collected in 1839-1840, is made of both possum and kangaroo skin and measures 146 by 125cm
Detailed photographs available on the Smithsonian website:
https://collections.nmnh.si.edu/search/anth/?irn=8470030&QueryPage=%252Fanth%252Fpages%252Fnmnh%252Fanth%252FDtlQuery.php
There are a number of factors which contribute to the rarity of historic cloaks:
•In some regions ceremony required that people were buried in their cloak, along with their possessions.
•The production of animal skin cloaks was discouraged by Mission managers and Government, and cloaks were replaced with wool blankets. In comparison, the blankets were ineffective in protecting a person from the cold and rain, contributing to the deaths of many Koori people in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
•Organic materials were most commonly used which do not preserve well, being known for their quality of breaking down naturally and easily. Leather exposed to the elements is not as durable as artefacts made of wood or stone. Cloaks would deteriorate and would be repaired, or replaced several times over during the owner’s lifespan.
•Additionally, many Aboriginal nations wore minimal clothing due to their hot Australian deserts environments.
The oldest known cloak is the Hunter Valley cloak, which forms part of the collections held at the Smithsonian Institute, in Washington D.C. The cloak was collected in 1839-1840, is made of both possum and kangaroo skin and measures 146 by 125cm
Detailed photographs available on the Smithsonian website:
https://collections.nmnh.si.edu/search/anth/?irn=8470030&QueryPage=%252Fanth%252Fpages%252Fnmnh%252Fanth%252FDtlQuery.php
Skirts, Belts and Lap-Laps
In addition to cloaks, both animal skins and woven plant fibres were utilised in the creation of belts and simple coverings for the groin. Such coverings were important in some of Australia’s traditional cultures, signifying in some instances the change in status of a boy as he entered into manhood. Skirts were made from a range of plant fibres, sometimes including human or animal hair, and in many instances were produced using an array of feathers, but with emu feathers being the most common. Today there is a revived interest in the production of animal skin cloaks, feather skirts, and other traditional clothing forms. The revival of possum skin cloaks as a form of cultural expression and pride began in the mid 1990’s and has since helped to inspire similar movements among people focused on revitalizing other aspects of traditional culture. |
Ceremonial items
•During ceremonies specific types of dress or ceremonial costumes are worn. •This traditional dress helped the participants to connect their physical body to the spiritual world by wearing significant sacred objects, presenting themselves as a totem figure or enabling their bodies to carry significant markings. •Wrist and ankle bands made of woven string and animal skins are worn, with women often wearing skirts made from emu or other bird feathers. •Each different language group had their own types of ceremonial dress. •Not all Aboriginal objects made from or incorporating fibre are for use in everyday life. Beautifully crafted, ceremonial fibre objects are still made and used in northern Australia. These include sacred strings incorporating colourful parrot feathers; ceremonial twined baskets decorated with feathered string and hung with feathered tassels; and ochred poles, for example Morning Star dancing poles which are decorated with feathered string and bunches of feathers. These tall, magnificent poles are used in mortuary ceremonies. Other ritual items are shaped from paperbark bound with string and decorated with ochre to resemble totemic birds and animals. The costumes and head dresses of dancers are also mostly made from fibre. (ATSIC, 1998: 9) •In some areas introduced fibres (for example, strips of nylon from onion bags) are used in the making of bags and baskets - though some of the older, more traditional workers, at least in parts of Cape York Peninsula, discourage this practice. European dyes are sometimes used. In central Arnhem Land a blue-grey colour has appeared in string and woven objects. Apparently the dye source is a printers' blue ink obtained by boiling up old cardboard items with locally gathered fibre. (ATSIC, 1998: 9) • |
Other uses for textiles
String bags are used for the storage and transport of food and other materials including personal items and tools. They are also used as sieves in the preparation of food, for example, when water lily seeds are separated from their capsules. Pandanus Weaving The three youngest branches of leaves from the top of the Gunga (pandanus spirifis) or Screw Palm, are hooked down by a long stick and the prickly edges stripped off with the thumbnail. On returning from the bush the women strip the long leaves into several fibres, bundle them up and hang them to dry. Weaving may commence at this stage, and the finished article left white or decorated with ochres, or the fibres are beautifully coloured with the natural bush dyes, then woven. |
Basket Weaving and Coiling
Baskets made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists are of two main types, those made by a weaving technique and coiled baskets. There are varieties within each main group. With the coiling method, as the name implies, the maker forms a foundation coil from a bundle of fibres, string or cane. In indigenous coiled baskets a working strand of fibre makes a series of button-hole stitches along the foundation which is shaped into tight coils or spirals as the work proceeds. Each button-hole stitch not only encloses a foundation coil but catches through a button-hole on the coil beneath. Flat or conical mats can be made in this way, or baskets if the coils are forced into the vertical as the work progresses. This method of weaving baskets and other fabrics is known as weft twining. There are two sets of elements, a warp set made of bundles of fibres or a split cane, and a weft set usually with two working strands that interlace with the warps. In some baskets, the makers occasionally use three-weft strands as a decorative device. Three-strand twining results in a noticeable cording effect on the surface of the fabric. (ATSIC, 1998: 4-5) |
Scraping a root of the dye plant Coelospermum reticulatum (Photo: A. L. West)
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Materials
•Most Aboriginal textiles were made in one of three ways. First were animal skins, processed and turned into blankets or cloaks. Certain animal skins may have been reserved for ceremonial cloaks used for special occasions. The insides of these skins were often painted with dyes produced from local minerals like ochre. •The second common material was bark. While Aboriginal people used a variety of plant fibres, bark was amongst the most common, and most versatile. Expert weavers learned to strip the bark into long threads that were woven together in various styles. Sometimes the bark was dyed before being woven to allow artists to create patterns, and sometimes the weaving was done in intricate patterns where the knots and braids themselves were the focus. Bark weaving was done by hand and utilized for everything from baskets and bags to items of clothing. •When you brush your hair, chances are some falls out and you throw it in the trash, however, instead of throwing it out, hair was used by Aboriginal artists as well. They did use animal hair, but were also very successful at using human hair to create strong and versatile threads. The hair was spun into yarn, sometimes alone and sometimes mixed with bark, which could be woven into clothing items, blankets, bags, and other items. While this idea may make some of us uncomfortable in the modern era, using human hair was an extremely practical and resourceful way to create strong textiles. In the ancient world, Aboriginal Australians weren't the only ones to utilize it. |
The Value of Textiles to ATSI cultures
•Textiles is used as a form of communication as cloaks containing information about the owner pertaining to their identity, status within the tribe, representation of country, initiation, etc.
•Textiles were used for the manufacturing of tools, baskets, bags and clothing, making it an important part of daily life and a detrimental skill for both men and women in the community.
•Traditional techniques still exist today, such as weaving, knotting, dyeing and sewing.
•Textiles is providing a platform for healing through the resurgence of traditional arts such as cloak making, bringing community members together and reinstating pride and a sense of belonging.
•The textiles industry is providing a platform for fashion designers and artists to make their art publicly available to global markets.
What else can you think of? Write down your answers.
•Textiles were used for the manufacturing of tools, baskets, bags and clothing, making it an important part of daily life and a detrimental skill for both men and women in the community.
•Traditional techniques still exist today, such as weaving, knotting, dyeing and sewing.
•Textiles is providing a platform for healing through the resurgence of traditional arts such as cloak making, bringing community members together and reinstating pride and a sense of belonging.
•The textiles industry is providing a platform for fashion designers and artists to make their art publicly available to global markets.
What else can you think of? Write down your answers.
ATSI Textiles as Inspiration for Non-ATSI Designers
The 1980s saw the emergence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander textiles influencing non-indigenous designers. …freelance curator Anthony (Ace) Bourke staged the first Tiwi Designs exhibition for them (Adrian Newstead and Louise Ferrier of Coo-ee Aboriginal Art) at the Hogarth Galleries in Sydney in 1983. Here six major fashion designers, including Jenny Kee, Linda Jackson, Katie Pye and Robert Burton, selected fabric for the Tiwi people to print, and then made the fabrics up into fashion garments. (Cochrane, 1992: 329) Linda Jackson Linda Jackson is one of Australia's most significant designer-makers. In the early 1970s Jenny Kee opened the Flamingo Park frock salon and included in it Linda Jackson's original creations, beginning a highly successful and influential collaboration which lasted ten years. Linda continued with her own design studio Bush Couture. The leading Italian fashion writer Anna Piaggi wrote for Italian Vogue: The colours, ecology, flora and fauna and paintings of the Aborigines were the fountain of inspiration for one of the most inventive free collections of fashion we've seen in recent times. (Jackson, 1987, 14) In August 1980 Linda travelled to central Australia, the result was a collection of textiles and garments inspired by that landscape. In June 1982 she travelled to Central Australia again and stayed at Utopia station. |
Desert Dress (1982) Utopia silk ponchos worn with a belt, over a gathered skirt and hemmed with beans. A bush print kimono coat is worn over the outfit. Aboriginal shell and bean jewellery and opal necklaces.
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A keen conservationist, Jenny says her approach to both the land and her work has been influenced by her appreciation of the deep spiritual bond Aboriginal people have with the land. In her textile design, Waratah and black boys, she expresses her own close affinity to the environment. "Out of the bushfires around us come the waratah and the black boy - the perfect symbol of Kali - destruction and regeneration" is her description of the design.
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Jenny Kee
Jenny Kee was born in Bondi in the late 1940s to a Cantonese father and Italian/British mother. She made her way to swinging London in the mid-1960s and made the most of the creative bohemian atmosphere, landing a job at the Chelsea Antique market where she sold and dressed herself in an eye catching mix of ethnic and retro clothes. On returning to Australia in the early 1970s she decided to set up the Flamingo Park frock salon in the Strand Arcade selling retro garments and the work of avant-garde Australian designers including Linda Jackson and Peter Tully. Jenny also began to create her own unique knitwear and printed cotton and silk garments. Her work drew not only on her love of Australia's unique natural environment and in particular its cycles of death and regeneration, but also on the silhouettes and textiles of traditional Asian clothing. Her work drew on her experience of living in the Blue Mountains in a home surrounded by native bushland which is frequently ravaged by fire. From the devastation she has watched the bush regenerate with a showing of green shoots, leaves and flowers even more spectacular after their ordeal. Her waratah and black boy fabric was inspired by this process, with the rich reds of the waratahs criss-crossed by the black stalks of the black boy. Black boy is a colloquial term used for any species of plant belonging to the genera Xanthorrhoea and Kingia, thought to resemble a native figure with a grass skirt holding a spear. |
Internal Factors:
-expertise -facilities -finance |
External Factors:
-economic -political/social -ecological -technological |
Cultural influences on designs can include:
-geographic location -technological development -resources available -religious practices -workers' skills -status |