![Australian Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) artwork by BRENDA KESI (ARIRÉ) of Omie Artists. The title is Taliobamë’e Nioge - Ancestral Design of the Mud. [16-038] (Sihoti’e Taliobamë’e - Appliquéd Mud-Dyed Nioge (Barkcloth))](https://media.redotgallery.com/stockroom/gallery/t/taliobamc3abe-nioge-ancestral-design-of-the-mud-5519.png)
BRENDA KESI (ARIRÉ)
Taliobamë’e Nioge - Ancestral Design of the Mud16-038
Sihoti’e Taliobamë’e - Appliquéd Mud-Dyed Nioge (Barkcloth)
Taliobamë’e Nioge - Ancestral … | 16-038
Sihoti’e Taliobamë’e - Appliquéd Mu…
128.5 x 104cm | 50.6 x 40.9in (irregular)
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Brenda has created an ancestral sihoti’e taliobamë’e (design of the mud) as she was taught by her mother, Go’ovino, when she lived at the old Ematé clan village Enopé before the 1951 eruption of Huvaimo (Mount Lamington). Brenda recalls how, before that, her mother was taught this design by her mother, Munne. These square designs are known as taliobamë’e. She explains how in the old days of making barkcloths the women had no paints so they would soak the barkcloth in mud, cut the desired pieces and then sew them onto the plain barkcloth. The contrasting effects would result in various bold visual designs. The design was sewn with a bat-wing bone needle and a river reed was shredded to create the sewing thread.
The Ömie creation story tells of how the very first sihoti’e nioge (mud-dyed barkcloth) was created by Suja, the first Ömie woman and mother of the world, under instruction from Mina, the first Ömie man, after she experienced her first menstruation. Suja dyed the plain barkcloth in the volcanic clay at the River Uhojo at the base of the sacred Mount Obo. Suja wore the mud-dyed barkcloth during her menstruation and lived in seclusion in a small hut known as jé’o jarwé (also called ivi’ino’ové’tové) for its duration.