AO MWITI LOWON, crab which defends itself with its claws

Geolocation

Relations

Item Relations

This Item String figure procedure involving mirror-symmetric operations: Item: BLAOL, empty coconut

Graphical representation of this item’s relations

Citation

Eric Vandendriessche and Agnès Henri , “AO MWITI LOWON, crab which defends itself with its claws,” String figures, accessed February 24, 2026, https://stringfigures.huma-num.fr/items/show/13.
  • Overall presentation

  • Name : AO MWITI LOWON, crab which defends itself with its claws

  • Creator : Eric Vandendriessche and Agnès Henri

  • Contributor(s) : Mata, village of Fona, Ambrym, Vanuatu

  • Date : 2016-2017


  • Information on the string figure

    • General presentation of the string figure

    This string figure represents a crab which defends itself with its claws.

    Construction method (ISFA)

    1. Opening A
    2. T grab 1n. Release 1.
    3. Distally, insert H into T loop and return to position.
    4. Pass R1 proximal to w loop. Proximally, insert R1 into R5 loop, hook up R5f and return to position.
    5. Proximally, insert L1 into R1 loop and return to position.
    6. Pass 1 distal to 2 loops. Proximally, insert 1 into 5 loops, pick up 5n and return to position.
    7. Caroline extension
    8. Release 5. Release 1. Release upper 2 loops.

    Construction method (symbolic writing)

    $ \underline{O}.A : p t (1n) : r(1) : \overline{i} H (t\infty): r(t) \mid \mid \underrightarrow{m} R1 (w\infty): \underline{i}R1(R5\infty) \mid \overline{h} R1(R5f) : \underline{i} L1 (R1\infty) :\overrightarrow{m}1(2\infty): \underline{i} 1 (5\infty) : p1 (5n) : C_{ext} : r (5, 1, u2\infty)\mid $

    Heart-sequence

    $\underline{O}.A : >\overrightarrow{1\infty} \rightarrow w : :\underleftarrow{5f} (w\infty): sl (L/R): sl \rightarrow 1: \overrightarrow{1\infty}\uparrow(5\infty):r 5 \mid$

    Accompanying words

    None

    Mathematical concepts involved

    The final figure is a 3D figure. Movements involved in this string figure procedure can be analyzed as the mirror moves of those involved in <i>blaol</i>.
  • Item references

  • Key words : String figures, Ambrym Island (Vanuatu)

  • Publisher : Laboratory SPHERE (UMR 7219, Paris Diderot University & CNRS)

  • Rights : Creative Commons / Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA

  • Format : jpeg, pdf, mp4

  • Language : English, North Ambrymese language

  • Location : Village of Fona, North Ambrym, Vanuatu, South Pacific

  • Description : Ambrymese string figure, method of construction, linguistic data, cultural aspects

Output Formats