This is an ancestral nioge (barkcloth) design.

This painting is among one of Fate Savari’s last paintings before she passed away. Sadly, Fate passed away before precise information could be recorded about this design however the conjoined circles design looks extremely similar to designs associated with shell and turtle shell jewellery originally traded with coastal tribes. Such designs are known as hartu’e—ceremonial white shell pendant necklace, and worro worrë or matabuté—turtle shell pendant.

Shell jewellery was made from sea shells and turtle shells in the times of the ancestors. The shells were a foreign, rare and beautiful material from the faraway coast so were highly valued in the Ömie mountains and would be displayed as a form of wealth on necklaces. The hartu’e and worro worrë (matabuté) were so highly valued they became important barkcloth designs and were painted onto nioge.

Fate’s father Lokirro told her about his travels to find turtle shells on the coast. He told her how the people living on the coast would hunt and kill the turtles but would leave the turtle shells on the beach. The Ömie would search for them and carry the turtle shell in one whole piece back up to the Ömie mountains.

The fine dots that can be seen around the edge of the painting are sabu deje, representing the spots which can be seen on the sides of a wood-boring grub. This grub is sacred to Ömie people as it plays an important part within the creation story of how Huvaimo (Mt. Lamington) came to be volcanic. It is a traditional sor’e (tattoo design) which was most commonly tattooed running in one line under both eyes. Today it is applied to Ömie people’s faces with natural pigments for dance performances.

Fate has painted a bristle design within the conjoined circles. Fate is known to paint this bristle design howver it has at least three different meanings. Most commonly the bristle design represents nyoni han’e, the leaves of the fern. The nyoni fern is an important plant symbol for the Dahorurajé clan. The bristle design may also be ijo bunë, representing the roots of trees after they have been chopped down in order to clear the garden for planting food. Or dubi dubi’e, representing the leaf of a rainforest vine that often grows on mountaintops.