Stick from large solitary rattan - Specimen details
| Catalogue Number: 100480 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Image | Plant Name | 187.00 PALMAE Calamus hollrungii | Entry Book Number | 41.2017 | |
| Artefact Name | Stick from large solitary rattan | Vernacular Name | |||
| Iso Country | Papua New Guinea | TDWG Region | Papua New Guinea | ||
| Parts Held | Stick from large solitary rattan | Geography Description | West Papua | ||
| Uses | Stick from large solitary rattanUse: User: Man | TDWG use | |||
| Storage | Bottles, boxes etc | Related Items | |||
| Donor | Milliken, William | Donor No | |||
| Donor Date | Donor Notes | ||||
| Collector | Milliken, William | Collector No | 1435 | ||
| Collection Notes | Collection Date | ||||
| Exhibition | Expedition | ||||
| Number Components | Publication | ||||
| Notes: | Note from W. Milliken: Calamus cf. hollrungii Becc. may have been put in Calamus pachypus W.J. Baker & al.x0Dx0AThe principle use of the rattan is as a bow string (split lengths of the stem), but it may also be used for waist-hopps & fire-saw straps. This sp, ecies is sometimes planted. See Ethnobotany of the Yali of West Papua by William Milliken - copy with object notesx0Dx0Ax0Dx0AFire x0Dx0AAt the time of study the people of Ilamik did not have access to matches, and still employed traditional fire-making techniques., This was achieved by the use of 'fire-saws', which were generally carried about by men in their string bags (Fig. 14). These consist of a partially split stick (konkon) held open by a small pebble, and a length of dry split rattan (kept in a twisted coil, called a serene). The rattan strap is passed around the underside of the stick; fine tinder (amunanagge, which may be cut from the rattan coil) is put underneath or into the cleft, and the stick is held firmly to the ground with a foot. The strap is then, pulled back and forth vigorously, and within less than twenty seconds the tinder begins to smoke (Fig. 15) and can be kindled into a flame. This process is described in detail by Steensberg (1980). The stems of four species of Calamus were said to be used, for the straps, as well as Racemobambos aff. raynalii, Smilax sp. and Carex cf. filicina (Cyperaceae). The wood of a number of trees is recognized as particularly suitable for the sticks (perhaps because of their lack of sap), including the following spe, cies: Parasponia rigida, Ardisia sp., Alphitonia incana, Saurauia cf. occulta (Actinidiaceae), Homalanthus sp., Eurya meizophylla (Theaceae), Rapanea cacuminum, Macaranga pleioneura and sabe (unidentified Malvaceae).x0Dx0A | ||||