DKH01-008_isik - Isik ‘Breasts’

This string figure represents breasts, an iconic symbol of a woman (even in Awiakay sign language, a sign for ‘woman’ is breasts), but breasts are also a symbol of belonging, relation and mutual social obligations. Even classificatory children are said to have drank from their classificatory mother’s breasts, meaning that that woman took care of them at some stage of their life as she would of her biological children. When the final design of this string figure emerges, two of the hanging loops might be shorter, the other two longer. The longer ones are said to be an old woman’s breasts, the shorter ones a young girl’s breasts. Images: 02: isik ‘breasts’ final design 03: Darja Munbaŋgoapik showing ‘the breasts’ . Language as given: Awiakay