Many people only know koteka as the Papua traditional clothes. Little do they know that just like its traditional houses, the Papua traditional clothes are varied. Each region, including those in West Papua, usually possesses its regional languages, traditional houses, and traditional clothes as cultural characteristics.
Understanding various Papua traditional clothes will lead you to understand more about the people’s culture and behavior. Let’s start our journey from here. Many unique Papua traditional clothes have a jaw-dropping making process and have valuable meaning.
Koteka/Holim
Let’s start with Papua’s most-known traditional clothes: koteka. When people talk about Papua traditional clothing, their mind will go to this famous piece.
Koteka is a traditional clothing of Papua for men with a quirky concept. The function of this traditional clothing is to cover the male genitalia, while the rest of the body is left to look almost naked. This clothing, known as the koteka, has other regional names, namely hilon, harim, or bobbe. According to tradition, the higher the man’s position, the larger the size of the koteka he wears.
Koteka is made from the skin of a water gourd with the seeds and flesh removed. Since the water gourd skin is quite old, the texture is more rigid and lasts after it is dried. That’s why it lasts longer and can be worn every day. It is also suitable for protecting men’s intimate parts.
Tassel Skirt
Tassel skirt is a harmonious match of the brackets shirt that women can wear. This skirt is made of dried sago leaves, so it has a unique form. Men can also wear tassel skirts. However, unlike women, men don’t wear bracket tops when they wear these skirts.
Sali
Sali is a Papua traditional garment that single/unmarried women only wear. The primary material of sali is the tree bark. To make this outfit, the Papuan must carefully do the craft to produce the perfect brown color that pops up gorgeously. No wonder that single women wear this outfit because it makes them look more stunning and attractive.
Baju Kurung
Baju Kurung is a traditional Papua top for women that looks thick and lavish. It looks modern and is made of velvet due to the influence of the outside cultures. You can easily find the people who wear these clothes around Manokwari. People who live in West Papua also wear these clothes for traditional activities.
The brackets shirt is combined with a tassel skirt complete with a fur tassel decoration on the edge of the neck, sleeves, or waist. This traditional clothing combination is also perfect with various accessories, such as bracelets and necklaces made of hard grains. To complete the appearance, the women wear head coverings made of cassowary feathers.
Yokal
As the opposite of Sali, Yokal is the traditional Papuan clothes specially made for married women. It is characterized by the reddish-brown color to distinguish the clothes from those made for single women. Many tribe people wear these clothes as the symbol of embracing the nature around them. The color of Yokal blends so well with the nature that surrounds the Papuan tribe and gives them life.
Kain Rumput Dress
If you want to see another kind of modern-traditional acculturation through dress, you can see it through Kain Rumput. This cloth has received a modern touch and comes from South Sorong.
This dress is meant not only for women but also for men. The primary material of this clothing is the dried sago leaf shoots. The leaves must also be ripped off when the seawater is high—this is a belief that makes this dress so unique.
To make this clothing, the Papuan must go through a complicated process. Sago leaves will be dried and go through a deep soaking process before being woven manually. The weaving process features a one-meter-long wooden material to attach the ends of the rope. Then, the dry grass is twisted together to be used as a rope at the waist. The cord is made at least as much as two ropes or with other varying amounts.
Although the process is complicated, the Papuan embrace these Papua traditional clothes as one of their cultures that deserve respect and place in their society.
When you go to the rural areas in Papua, you will rarely see the people wearing these traditional Papua clothes. However, if you enter the tribal areas of the hinterland, you can still find people wearing traditional clothes, such as Koteka and Baju Kurung. In various significant events, these clothes are also still worn.
As modernity touches, Papua, society, and government should take more steps to protect the native culture—including Papua traditional clothes—as a form of respect to God, nature, and people and prevent our precious culture from extinction.
