Caroline Island Fiber Sash

In the Caroline Islands the art of weaving was thought to have been passed down from divine beings. The indigenous women of the island were very skilled in using a backstrap loom, a knowledge they received from Southeast Asian countries. The Caroline Islands are some of the very few South Sea Islands locales where fiber was loom woven.

This sash, or a tor, would be worn by only high-ranking men for ceremonial purposes. It would be tied around the waist over a grass skirt to anchor it down. The banana fiber is woven on a narrow loom in intricate, geometrical design, incorporating red wool which was highly prized in Micronesia as it is not indigenous.

A  very similar sash is in the MET’s collection.