3 ways to wear koteka

 

Although the koteka is still a favorite souvenir for tourists visiting Papua, in the Baliem valley there are still many other choices such as bead necklaces, water containers from pumpkins to original stone axes. (photo: Arbain Rambey, Kompas)

Papua province in Indonesia is known as a very rich island. Not only their natural resources, but also their culture and customs. Because of their well-known culture and customs, many foreign tourists come to the easternmost island of Indonesia.

Talking about customs, what really attracts the world's attention is the traditional clothes of the Papua Province.

What's that? Yes, that is Koteka

Koteka or Holim the traditional clothes for men in Papua and West Papua Provinces.

Koteka is a special clothing worn to cover the lower body of men in several tribes in Papua.

The word Koteka comes from a tribe in Paniai which means clothes.

Quoted from the book Ethnography of Papua Development (2019) by Mulyadi, the Dani are the main tribe that inhabits the Baliem Valley in the Central Mountains region in Jayawiyaja and Puncak Jaya districts.

There the traditional dress is a koteka for men made from dried pumpkin. 

The form of Papuan traditional clothing has almost the same form of clothing for both men and women. The model of the lower body cover and the clothes are the same.

Koteka Quoted from the book Indonesian Traditional Jewelry (2000) by Muhammad Husni and Tiarma Rita Siregar, Koteka or holim is a unique traditional dress for men made of Chinese pumpkin (kalabasah) with a pointed shape.

At the end is decorated with bird feathers or jungle fowl feathers.

Where serves to cover the genitals. For the technique of using a koteka so it doesn't fall, it is tied around the waist with a fine black rope.

There are three ways to use a koteka, namely:

1. Perpendicular symbolizes the wearer is a real man and still a virgin (never had sex).

2. Tilts to the right, symbolizing masculinity, true men have high social status and nobility.

3. Tilts to the left, symbolizing middle-class adult men and showing the wearer descended from warlords (apendugogar)

The size of the koteka depends on the physical size of the wearer. The size of the koteka is also often just an accessory for the wearer.

Reported from the website of the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemdikbud), where a burly body for a man with koteka is the dream of a Central Mountain tribe woman like the Dani Tribe.

There are two sizes of koteka, namely small holim (smooth) and large short holim. This type of small koteka is found in the Baliem valley area, especially in Wamena Kota District, Asologaima District and Kurulu District, the size of the bottom is medium and the top is pointed.

Some Dani people wear a short and large koteka.

Kalabasah which is relatively large in diameter is cut almost in half so that the end is perforated (open) which when used is usually the hole is covered with leaves.

For the type of large koteka, there are in the valleys of Baliem, Ilaga, Tiom, Yalimo, Apalahapsili, Welarak, Kosarek, and Oholim.

Meaning of traditional Koteka clothes

In general, the koteka contains life values ​​that are good for use, such as the value of togetherness, the value of leadership, pride, greatness, covering the genitals, and so on.

So it can be understood that Koteka is one of the things that is quite important in the daily life of ethnic groups in the ecological region of the central mountains.

For men who are authoritative and famous in society, the koteka used must be large and long.

An authoritative and dashing man usually wears a koteka while holding an arrow and a bow with a sharp look on his face into the wild.

Source: Kompas and Tribun News