Riji are the pearl shells traditionally worn by Aboriginal men in the north-west part of Australia, around present day Broome. The word ''riji'' is from the

Bardi language Bardi (also Baardi, Baard) is an endangered Australian Aboriginal language in the Nyulnyulan family, mutually intelligible with Jawi and possibly other dialects. It is spoken by the Bardi people at the tip of the Dampier peninsula and neighbo ...

. Another word for it is ''jakuli''. Rijis are worn as pubic coverings, like a loin cloth, and attached with hairstring from a belt or band around the waist. Only men

initiated Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformation ...

to the highest degree could traditionally wear them. Today special ceremonies mark the occasion when boys are given riji to mark their transition to adulthood, a time of great joy for families. Before being decorated, the pearl shell is known as ''guwan''. Lines known as ''ramu'', often in a sacred pattern or depicting a traditional story, are carved onto the guwan, at which point it becomes a riji.

Ochre Ochre ( ; , ), or ocher in American English, is a natural clay earth pigment, a mixture of ferric oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from yellow to deep orange or brown. It is also the name of the colours produced ...

is sometimes applied to the incisions, for colour. Riji are associated with water, as well as spiritual or healing powers, and life.

Bardi people The Bardi people, also spelt Baada or Baardi and other variations, are an Aboriginal Australian people, living north of Broome and inhabiting parts of the Dampier Peninsula in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. They are ethnically clos ...

equate the light reflecting off the shells to

lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of an average ...

flashes, which are prominent during the

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...

, and to lights flashing off the cheeks of the

Rainbow Serpent The Rainbow Serpent or Rainbow Snake is a common deity often seen as the creator God, known by numerous names in different Australian Aboriginal languages by the many different Aboriginal peoples. It is a common motif in the art and religion ...

, who is closely linked to water and rain. One of the unique patterns used in the

Kimberley region of Western Australia The Kimberley is the northernmost of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami deserts in the region of the Pilbara, an ...

is a pattern of interlocking designs. The incised designs are highlighted with a mixture of

ochre Ochre ( ; , ), or ocher in American English, is a natural clay earth pigment, a mixture of ferric oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from yellow to deep orange or brown. It is also the name of the colours produced ...

and

Spinifex resin Spinifex resin is a gum coating of some species of spinifex grasses. This sticky resin was traditionally used as an adhesive in tool making by Aboriginal Australians. Many species of spinifex are extremely resinous, to the extent that resin may ...

, which is rubbed into the grooves. Decorated and plain pearl shells are used for rain-making and magical purposes or for trade. Riji were objects of great value and were traded with inland Aboriginal people along ancient trade routes over vast areas of the continent. They have been found at

Yuendumu Yuendumu is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia, northwest of Alice Springs on the Tanami Road, within the Central Desert Region local government area. It ranks as one of the larger remote communities in central Australia, and has a ...

in the desert, south-eastern

Arnhem Land Arnhem Land is a historical region of the Northern Territory of Australia, with the term still in use. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around from the territory capital, Darwin. In 1623, Dutch East India Compa ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

and

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest o ...

. Often plain pearl shells were decorated further along trade routes, far from their place of origin. Aboriginal artists Aubrey Tigan and

Butcher Joe Nangan Joe Nangan (Butcher Joe Nangan) (1900-1989) was an Aboriginal Australian lawman, ''jalngunguru'' (healer or cleverman) and artist. In his role as a custodian of legends, Nangan was responsible for the preservation of the sounds and performances ...

created riji out of mother-of-pearl buttons and cloth. Artists still make Riji today in the Broome area. Some use the older, sacred patterns, while others choose to use more modern designs.

References

*http://www.nga.gov.au/Exhibition/Tactility/Detail.cfm?IRN=83544 {{Indigenous Australians Australian Aboriginal clothing History of Western Australia