Summary

Flour drums are used by women in western Arnhem Land for dyeing pandanus fibre. Colour is a crucial element in making bags, baskets and mats. Roots or leaves or other plant material is chopped up and placed into boiling water inside these drums. Fibre is stripped from the young leaves taken from pandanus trees. These women will use drums with rust to produce a particular hue or keep a drum aside to reuse for dyeing a particular colour. Women will also use new ones to carry personal possessions.

This flour drum was brought to Melbourne by fibre artists from Injalak Arts and Crafts and used to carry prepared pandanus fibre used in demonstrations and workshops at Melbourne Museum.

Physical Description

A red metal flour drum with a metal handle. The product details are printed on the outer surface: "Weston Milling Jackaroo Flour" with an image of a man on a rearing horse and holding out a hat. The inside surface is rusty and encrusted with dirt or sand.

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