
Types of Traditional West Papuan Clothing
18 December, 2024Share:
Types of Traditional West Papuan Clothing

There are many varieties of traditional clothing in West Papua, Indonesia. One of them is Koteka In addition to Koteka, there are several other types of West Papuan traditional clothing. Before we learn the types are, it’s a good idea to know the characteristics of West Papuan traditional clothing.
West Papuan traditional clothing has not been influenced by outside culture so it is still very original and various kinds of traditional clothing are also different and adjusted to their functions. Here are some types of Papuan traditional clothing and their uniqueness!
CLOTHING

1. Koteka
Koteka is part of the traditional clothing of the island of Papua, both in the West Papua region, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Koteka serves to cover the genitals of indigenous Papuan men, while other parts of the body are left open so that they are almost naked. Koteka, literally has a meaning as clothing. Koteka is also called horim or bobbe.
Koteka is made from water pumpkin skin that has been removed from the seeds and fruits. The water pumpkin chosen must be old because old pumpkins when dried have a hard and durable texture. The old pumpkin is planted in sand or soil and then burned to make it easier to remove the seeds and fruits. After successfully removing the seeds and fruits, the pumpkin is dried by aerating it on the fireplace.
It is long like a sleeve and the tip is tapered like a cone or more like a carrot stem. At the end of the koteka is given partridge feathers or bird feathers.
Koteka is worn on men’s vital parts. So that it does not come off easily, on the left and right there are ropes so that the koteka can wrap the rope around the user’s waist. For men who are still virgins, the koteka is worn in a perpendicular position upwards. Meanwhile, for men who wear koteka in an upward and tilted position to the right, it symbolizes masculinity and has a high social status or nobility.
The common assumption circulating is that the size, both long and large, koteka symbolizes the status of the wearer. But in reality, this is not the case. The size of the koteka is chosen based on what activity is being done.
Short koteka are used when they work and daily activities such as farming, hunting, and raising livestock. As for traditional events, they use a long koteka.
The koteka used by one tribe can be different from the koteka used by other tribes. For example, the koteka used by the Yali tribe, they prefer the shape of a long pumpkin. Meanwhile, there are other tribes, such as the Triom tribe, which usually uses a koteka in the shape of two pumpkins.
The campaign requires a long and not easy struggle. The inhabitants of the Baliem Valley, for example, the Dhani Tribe, sometimes wear shorts, but at other times they maintain their koteka.
Gradually the use of koteka is limited, especially in public places that can be seen by many people, for example at school, at terminals, in offices, and others. The existence of koteka in this era is more often traded for souvenirs.
The use of koteka is still widely found in mountainous areas, such as Wamena. If there are tourists who take pictures with residents who use koteka, they usually need to pay a few tens of thousands according to the agreement.

2. Baju Kurung
Baju kurung is a traditional West Papuan clothing used by women as superiors. The material of the baju kurung is velvet fabric. Baju kurung is influenced by cultures outside Papua and is widely worn by women in Manokwari. You will find Papuan women in Western Papua who also wear this shirt for traditional events.
This woman who wears a baju kurung combines her appearance with a tassel skirt. It is not uncommon for women to use additional accessories when wearing this baju kurung. Decorative feather tassels that are circular around the waist, arms, and edges of the neck.
The combination of baju kurung, tassel skirt, and feather tassel decoration is usually added with several other accessories to make it look more harmonious. There are bracelets and necklaces made of hard grains and a head covering made of bird feathers.

3. Fringe Skirt
The tassel skirt is a subordinate that covers the lower body of Papuan women. Usually tassels are used in pairs with baju kurung. The tassel skirt is made of sago leaves that have been dried and then knitted neatly to form a skirt.
Tassel skirts are usually used by residents in the central mountainous region or near the coast. Some of the groups that still use this tassel skirt are Yapen, Sentani, Enjros, Nafri, Biak Numfor, and Tobati.
Although skirts are generally used by women, some men in West Papua also wear skirts with tassels during traditional events. The way to use tassel skirts for women and men is different.
If a man wears a tassel skirt, then he does not wear a baju kurung like a woman. If a man wears a koteka, usually women wear tassel skirts without a brace. Their upper body is camouflaged by tattoos with flora and fauna motifs whose ink is made of natural materials.

4. Sali Clothing
To recognize a girl who is single or married, it can be recognized by the clothing she wears. Sali clothing are clothing that can only be used by girls. This Sali shirt can be used to carry out daily activities. Married women are not allowed to wear this traditional dress.
These clothing are made from the bark of selected trees or dried sago leaves. One of the criteria is that the bark of the tree must be brown so that the resulting clothing look perfect, attractive, and pleasing to the eye. Because at first glance, this traditional dress looks like a stitched cloth when worn by West Papuan girls. Sali is used by wrapping it around the body and arranged so that the inside is longer than the outside.

5. Yokai Traditional Clothing
Who would have thought that there were only clothing for girls who were girls? In Papuan culture, married women are also provided with special clothing. The function is obvious, this clothing is to cover the upper body of women and should only be worn by those who are married.
Yokai clothing are made of tree bark that is strikingly earthy brown or reddish. This garment is made by weaving and wrapping around a woman’s body. Those clothing can be found in the interior of Papua.

6. Grass Cloth Shirt
Those traditional clothing are shirt that has received a modern touch. Grass cloth clothing can be used by both men and women.
This dress is made using the base material of sago leaf shoots that have been dried. The sago leaves used as an ingredient must be taken when the sea water is at high tide. The sago leaves that have been taken are then dried and then soaked before being weaved.
The leaves are then woven with the help of a tool in the form of one meter stick. The wood serves to hook the ends of the rope. The rope is made of grass, which has previously been dried, which is twisted into one.
ACCESSORIES

1. Tattoo
It is not uncommon for us to encounter images or tattoos on the bodies of West Papuans. The tattoo serves to cover the upper body of the West Papuan population. This is because sometimes West Papuans do not wear top clothing.
According to historical records, tattoos on the island of Papua are estimated to have existed 3000 years ago. It was the Austronesians from Asia who brought this tattoo tradition to the island of Papua. The tattoo is made of charcoal made of wood that is pyrolyzed along with the sap of the tree.
When the sap and charcoal herbs are deemed sufficient to be mixed with other ingredients, sago or bone thorns are dipped into them to be pierced into the cheeks, chest, eyelids, calves, back of the body, and hips.
Tattoos are also used by grooms to make them look more handsome and mighty. Therefore, tattoos on men are patterned with crocodiles, snakes, cassowaries or sawfish. While the bride wears tattoos to add beauty. The tattoo motif for the bride is usually cendrawasih bird, eel, or endemic fish. In addition, tattoos are also used to indicate a person’s beauty, power, or social status.

2. Tassel Decoration on the Head
The tassels on the head like a crown are often worn by the people of West Papua. The function of this tassel decoration is as an additional decoration of Papuan traditional clothing.
The tassel decoration is made of white or yellow cassowary feathers. The choice of cassowary feathers as tassel decoration material is because of its unique and attractive shape. Sometimes this ornament is also combined with rabbit fur. But sometimes cassowary feathers are replaced with thatch as the base material.

3. Noken
Noken is an accessory of West Papuan traditional clothing in the form of a woven bag typical of West Papua. In the past, this bag was used by tying it to the head. But lately, the noken is worn by hanging it on the shoulder. Noken is made by weaving bark or rattan roots.
Noken has many important functions in the lives of people in Papua. Yatoo is a large noken so that it can be used to carry firewood, vegetables, tubers, beans, potatoes, and other items including groceries in the market. If Yatoo is empty, the bag can be used to carry a child. Another type of noken is called Gapagoo. Due to its small size, Gapagoo can only transport small items such as cigarettes or betel nut.
Until now, noken is still widely used by the Asmat tribe. Noken is a pride for Papuans who migrate outside the island or Indonesians who migrate abroad. In the market, Noken has a high price. This woven bag is priced from hundreds of thousands to millions of rupiah.

4. Pig or Dog Animal Teeth
As the name suggests, these accessories are made from dog teeth and pig teeth. This pig’s tooth is placed between the nostrils of a West Papuan man. These pig’s teeth are used as an identity that the user is a war soldier. If a soldier is angry or wants to fight, then the pig’s teeth will be facing down.
While dog teeth are used for jewelry in the form of necklaces. The necklace of this dog’s teeth is called Koyonoo. It is said that dog teeth are one of the highest treasures in tradition in West Papua. Dog fangs that are white and without defects (cracked or eroded) have a higher exchange rate. In some tribes, Koyonoo can be used to pay customary fines, dowries, and several other means of exchange.