- an inventory of string figures mounted on card, string figures on film, string figure photographs, and recordings of string figure songs
Compiled by Martin Probert
Other Archives with String Figure Artefacts
Survival, Origin and Mathematics of String Figures
Acknowledgement: It is a pleasure to thank Paul Feindt for his generous assistance in drawing my attention to many additional films in the IWF archive, and for providing detailed descriptions of the films, and to Elke Geilhaupt for providing details of the availability of film, video and DVD copies.
Film: Micronesians (Gilbert Islands, Tabiteuea) - String Figures
(Dashes --- indicate omission of a string figure name to avoid website blocking by filtering software.)
- Film number: E 883.
- Two men show 19 figures: Mr Ubwebwe, Mr Umake, Blow, Two Sea-Snail Shells, Cohabitation of Teitu and Tekaeko, kabaka atona, The Last, Rats can be Heard, ---, Dead, Capture of the King Mackerel, Bent Dog's-Head, Upwards-Looking Dog's Head, Movement, Dolphin Bone, Shark's Bone, Two Long Legs, Turning Over, As Numerous as Ants is the Family of Mr Umake. String length approximately 3,6 meters. Some figures repeated in slow motion.
- Produced 1963, Gerd Koch. Published 1965, IWF (Göttingen).
- 16 mm, 90 m ; b&w, 8 1/2 min ; silent.
- Available from the IWF on video cassette VHS Pal or DVD-ROM.
Film: Micronesians (Gilbert Islands, Onotoa) - String Figures
- Film number: E 884.
- Two men show 14 figures: kani ukia, Catching the King Mackerel, Mr Umake the Elder, Ghost Place in Bush Country, Mr Ubwebwe, Coconut Half, Fountain of the Sun, Sitting Log of the Sun, Dwelling of the Sun, Congregation Hall of the Sun, Sun, Place of the Rat, Ears of the Rat, Fountain of the Rat. String length approximately 3,6 meters. Some figures repeated in slow motion.
- Produced 1964, Gerd Koch. Published 1965, IWF (Göttingen).
- 16 mm, 93 m ; b&w, 8 1/2 min ; silent.
- Available from the IWF on video cassette VHS Pal or DVD-ROM.
Film: Polynesians (Ellice Islands, Niutao) - String Figures
- Film number: E 885.
- A woman of Niutao in Tuvalu (former Ellice Islands) shows eleven figures: tangutu, tafa, Tall House, Sisters and Brothers, Married Couple, Caterpillar, kalupe, Low Tide, High Tide, Knot of the Kulu and Catching the King Mackerel.
- Produced 1963, Gerd Koch. Published 1965, IWF (Göttingen).
- 16 mm, 64 m ; b&w, 6 min ; silent.
- Available from the IWF on video cassette VHS Pal or DVD-ROM.
Film: Central Europe, Basel-Land - String Figures
- Film number: E 1736.
- Two sisters from Switzerland show Cat's Cradle (Bedstead, Carpet, Milky Way, Cradle, Carpet, Fish, Crab, Balloon). Then Ruth Beriger, the elder sister, shows 13 figures: Coffee Cup (invented by Ruth), Devil's Horns, Ironing Board (also by Ruth), Big Net, Small Net, Eiffel Tower, Telephone Mast, Broom, Big Sewing Machine, Small Sewing Machine and three string tricks. All the figures are recorded first at 24 and then at 48 f/s.
- Produced 1969, Hans-Rudolf Haefelfinger. Published 1975, IWF (Göttingen).
- 16 mm, 150 m ; b&w, 14 min ; silent.
- Available from the IWF on video cassette VHS Pal or DVD-ROM.
Film: Krahó (Brazil, Tocantins Region) - String Figures
- Film number: E 2213.
- Four young Krahó men make 29 traditional string figures: Fork of a Tree, Tall Tree, Rattlesnake, Trick, Man, Hand, Frog, Emu's Foot, Spider's Web, Trap, Water, Small River, Fish, Axe, Snake, House by Lake, Drying Lake, Open Belly of Anteater, Hoof of Cattle, Hoof of Deer, House, Bridge, Liana, Subaquatic Plant, Tip of Bow, Liver, Ham, Butterfly and Head of Fish. Only Krahó men make string figures: women and girls show no interest.
- Produced 1964-1965, Harald Schultz. Published 1975, IWF (Göttingen).
- 16 mm, 178 m ; colour, 16 1/2 min ; silent.
- Available from the IWF on video cassette VHS Pal or DVD-ROM.
Film: Polar Eskimo (North Greenland, Thule District) - String Figures
- Film number: E 2314.
- 19 figures are shown: Igloo, Tent, Kayak, Oil Lamp, Hairknot, Mouth, Shoulderblade, Seal, Whale, Polar Bear, Reindeer, Hare, Fox, Bird, Crow, Running Dog, a further animal and two string tricks.
- Produced 1974, Christian Adler. Published 1979, IWF (Göttingen).
- 16 mm, 100 m ; Video (VHS) ; b&w, 9 1/2 min ; silent.
- Available from the IWF on video cassette VHS Pal.
Film: Eipo (West New Guinea, Central Highlands) - Playing Cats Cradle
- Film number: E 2922.
- A young boy demonstrates two figures: twisted palm (Win) and leech (Tbye).
- Produced 1979, Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt. Published 1995, IWF (Göttingen).
- 16 mm, 35 m ; b&w, 3 1/2 min ; silent.
- Only available from the IWF for the education area.
Film: Trobriands (East New Guinea, Trobriand Islands, Kaile'una) - String Figures
(Dashes --- indicate omission of a string figure name to avoid website blocking by filtering software.)
- Film number: E 2958.
- Two women show 13 figures: Path to Tobabane, Senube (a woman), Small Fish, Joke, As If, Ginger Root, ---, Togesi (a man), You from Kaibola, Kalipudou (a bird), High Tide, Low Tide and Tokwelasi (a man). At the end of the film a third woman joins and shows the others how to make one figure: Lice Catcher. With the figures the women act in particular ways and they sing songs with partly coarse content. Onlookers and players laugh and exchange comments.
- Produced 1984, Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt, Gunter Senft. Published 1987, IWF (Göttingen).
- 16 mm, LT, 228 m ; colour, 21 min ; original sound.
- Only available from the IWF for the education area.
Film: Indian Cultures in the Frontier Region between Bolivia and Brazil
- Film number: B 457.
- Includes string figures constructed by children. Although not shown in the film, string figure making was also a pastime of adults.
- Produced 1933-1935, Emil Heinrich Snethlage, Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde. Published 1936, RWU (Berlin).
- 16 mm, 430 m ; B&W, 52 min ; silent; 4 reels.
Film: Arts and Crafts in Northeastern Angola
- Film number: C 124.
- Includes a young man showing string figures.
- Produced 1930, Hermann Baumann. Published 1937, RWU (Berlin).
- 16 mm, 82 m ; B&W, 7 1/2 min ; silent.
- Available from the IWF as film.
Film: The Issansu, Peasants and Cattle Breeders in the Undrained Region of German East Africa - Anthropological Types, Technical Achievements, Games, Music
- Film number: C 367.
- Includes string figures. Among the Issansu the making of string figures was mainly played by women.
- Produced 1934-1939, Ludwig Kohl-Larsen. Published 1941, RWU (Berlin).
- 16 mm, 118 m ; B&W, 14 1/2 min ; silent.
- Available from the IWF as film.
Film: Ata Kiwan ("People of the Mountains") in the Solor-Alor Archipelago (East Indonesia) 3. Mime and Dance
- Film number: D 828.
- Includes string figures. First a woman, then a boy, show various figures.
- Produced 1928-1929, E. Vatter. Published 1961, IWF (Göttingen).
- 16 mm, 117 m ; B&W, 14 1/2 min ; silent.
- Available from the IWF on video cassette VHS Pal or DVD-ROM.
Film: Life among the Taulipang of Guiana - Film Documents from the Year 1911
- Film number: D 856.
- Includes string figures. A boy makes Small Acará-Fish; then two boys, using two loops, make Mirror. Among the Taulipang the making of string figures was never played by girls.
- Produced 1911, Theodor Koch-Grünberg, H. Schmidt. Published 1962, IWF (Göttingen).
- 16 mm, 94 m ; B&W, 9 min ; silent.
- Available from the IWF on video cassette VHS Pal or DVD-ROM.
Film: Ngoora - The Camping Place
- Film number: W 882.
- Includes string figures.
- Produced 1965, T.D. Campbell; Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (Canberra); University of Adelaide.
- 16 mm, 615 m ; colour, 56 1/2 min.
- Available from the IWF for film rental.
Film: Netsilik Eskimos - At the Winter Sea-Ice Camp
- Film number: W 1356.
- Includes string figures.
- Produced 1963-1965, Asen Balikci, Guy Mary-Rousseličre; Education Development Center (Cambridge, MA). Published 1968, National Film Board of Canada (Montreal).
- 16 mm, 1484 m ; colour, 136 min., 4 reels.
- Available from the IWF for film rental.
Film: Netsilik Eskimos - Fishing at the Stone Weir
- Film number: W 1362.
- Includes string figures.
- Produced 1963-1965, Asen Balikci, Guy Mary-Rousseličre; Education Development Center (Cambridge, MA). Published 1967, National Film Board of Canada (Montreal).
- 16 mm, 623 m ; colour, 57 min., 2 reels.
- Available from the IWF for film rental.
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Copyright Martin Probert 2002