Mikéa Rope Bag

Mikae people, southwestern Madagascar

20th century

Jean-Pierre Dutilleux Collection

Item published, photographed, and exhibited

⸻

DESCRIPTION

A rare carrying bag made of twisted plant fibers, crafted using a simple rope-making technique involving continuous winding to form a flexible, durable, and lightweight structure, perfectly suited to a nomadic lifestyle.

Slightly irregular in cylindrical shape, the object features a drawstring closure system as well as a long strap allowing it to be carried on the shoulder or across the body.

The bag has developed a natural, aged patina and numerous signs of wear consistent with prolonged use in the field. The irregular tension of the fibers, variations in texture, and uniform wear attest to entirely handmade construction and genuine daily use.

This type of bag was one of the few personal possessions kept by the Mikéa, a hunter-gatherer people living in the arid forest regions of southwestern Madagascar.

Adapted to a material economy reduced to the bare essentials, it was used to carry items related to hunting, gathering, or daily necessities. Through its structural simplicity and immediate functionality, this object powerfully illustrates the direct relationship maintained by the Mikéa with their natural environment.

Beyond its ethnographic interest, this specimen possesses exceptional documentary value through the combination of a complete set comprising:

- the object collected in the field,

- its original ethnographic photograph,

- its publication in a reference work,

- as well as its presentation in an exhibition dedicated to indigenous peoples.

⸻

PROVENANCE

Jean-Pierre Dutilleux Collection

Collected in the field during ethnographic missions dedicated to Indigenous peoples.

⸻

ASSOCIATED PHOTOGRAPH

The object is accompanied by an original photograph by Jean-Pierre Dutilleux, numbered and signed, depicting Mikéa men carrying bags of the same type as the specimen presented here in their natural environment.

This photograph constitutes a particularly important field record, reinforcing the direct link between the object presented and its original cultural context.

⸻

PUBLISHED

Exemplar reproduced in the reference work:

TRIBES – The First People

Jean-Pierre Dutilleux

Éditions VILO

The object is illustrated in the section devoted to the Mikéa of Madagascar, accompanied by a field photograph showing this type of bag being worn in use.

⸻

EXHIBITED

THE FIRST WORLD

Jean-Pierre Dutilleux Collection

Belgium, 2018

The bag was featured in the ethnographic display dedicated to the Mikéa, alongside field photographs taken during Jean-Pierre Dutilleux’s expeditions.

⸻

ACCOMPANYING BOOK

A copy of the book TRIBES – The First People by Jean-Pierre Dutilleux accompanies this set.

The book provides essential documentation that places the object within its ethnographic context and within the history of Jean-Pierre Dutilleux’s field missions among indigenous peoples.

⸻

NOTE

Mikéa objects remain exceptionally rare on the ethnographic market due to:

- the ephemeral nature of this culture,

- the perishable nature of the materials used,

- as well as the scarcity of documented historical collections.

Collections comprising:

- field collection,

- original photograph,

- publication,

- reference work,

- and exhibition histories,

are today particularly sought-after items by collectors of documentary ethnography and enthusiasts of primitive art associated with the major field missions of the 20th century.