The Dilly Bag

The Dilly Bag, Djerrk, or Gay’wu pictured was traditionally made in Arnhem Land. I am told it took approximately 3 leisurely days to make. A Dilly Bag is typically used to carry food and medicine alongside transporting personal effects or ceremonial items. In addition to this the bags also served to aid food preparation acting as sieves when separating seeds from their capsules. The bag is either worn by placing the string handle on the forehead and letting the bag rest on your back; around the neck so it rests on your chest/stomach; or slung over a shoulder.

There is evidence of string bags in some of the oldest rock paintings in Arnhem Land, dating back over 20,000 years.
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Historically the bags would have been plain, however in recent times the use of natural dyes has become commonplace. All manner of plant material is used for the dying process, from seeds, roots and shoots to flowers, bulbs, leaves and fruits.

Pandanus palm leaves are a favoured material used for dilly bags and fibre crafts in general, and once processed they are a resilient and durable fibre, capable of standing up to years of careful use. The leaves are stripped and dried to begin with. If using dyes, the processed leaves are then boiled with the pigments of choice. Once ready, the fibres are spun together using a reverse wrap technique to make several long lengths of cord. At this point the finished string is then wrapped in a loop around the maker’s toes or legs, and then hand spun using figure-of-eight stitching to produce the intricate work you see pictured.
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Weaving is not totally utilitarian by nature, as much of the craft is also shrouded in spiritual meaning too. From ancestral roots and stories of how fibre crafts came into being, to the ceremonial uses of the bags during rituals.