Belt (Ptek or Ptekél)

ClassificationsClothing and Adornments-waist garments

Datemid 20th Century

Made AtPalau

MediumFiber and cloth

Dimensions3/4 × 45 1/2 in. (1.9 × 115.6 cm)

Credit LineGift of Frieda O. Wray from the Estate of Dr. & Mrs. Douglas and Carolyn Osborne

Object number2019.17.8

DescriptionThis is a belt, referred to as ptek or ptekél in Palauan vernacular, worn by Palauan women. The traditional attire of Palauan women consists of a grass skirt, known as a gerévut, worn on the hip area and secured with a belt and a hip cord. The ptek is commonly made by weaving together plant fibers in a diamond pattern. According to one researcher, Palauan women prefer to wear the ptek tightly around their flanks for the purpose of supporting the skirts and their stomachs. In Palau, traditional attire is reserved for feasts or dance rituals. This particular ptek was worn by the donor, or the donor’s sister, during a ceremonial dance on the opening day of the Palau Museum Men’s Meeting House in 1969.

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