Na'vi-Inspired Belt/Sling

[Atanhì]

Avatar inspired me to work on some Na'vi-ish costuming. Here's a belt I put together out of cord and beads:
The belt is mostly comprised of 180-lb.-test hemp cord, tied in a series of alternating square knots. The entire project involved a bit over 90 feet of cord. I wound the working strands around sawn lengths of bamboo, basically improvised bobbins, to keep all that cord from tangling.



The pattern is a series of alternating square knots. Some people call it "fishbone". It reminds me of a snake skeleton, or more generically of a spinal column. The beads are ceramic, but finished to look like stone-I scavenged them from a necklace I had lying around. I thought the blue and brown striae over the pale blue-green form looked a little like some of the views of Polyphemus visible from Pandora.



The finished belt is about 70" by 4". I imagine it could be worn in various ways.



or, if you're going for the Junior Miss (or Mister) Omaticaya look

[Col Quaritch]

Very nicely done, very nice indeed.

[Atanhì]

Thankee.

[tsamna]

I look at this and i really dont think navi. It looks well made but i dont think that it fits in with the movie. This is just me, maybe im the only one that feels this way.

[Eaite Randjam]

I look at this and i really dont think navi. It looks well made but i dont think that it fits in with the movie.

In the way it was shown across the chest I can agree with you, but the pattern looks very native and decorative, and I could see Na'vi of a leadership role adorning their waist with this to set themselves apart.

Besides, we shouldn't base everything we make upon what's seen in the movie.  This piece is an example of using the theme and aesthetic of the Na'vi to be creative and create custom cosplay items.

I say good job ma Atanhì!  You've noted about how the knots were created, but would you mind going into detail about how the chain of knots is made?

[Kaltxì Palulukan!]

I look at this and i really dont think navi. It looks well made but i dont think that it fits in with the movie. This is just me, maybe im the only one that feels this way.

I will have JC (I call him that--we are buds) put it in Avatar 2. Then it will "look Na'vi." This is amazing!

[Atanhì]

Ma Tsamna: Point well-taken. I wondered myself whether the all-over loops of about the same diameter didn't look a little cluttered and overwhelming. I think I'll experiment with using them differently in the future.

Ma Eaite Randjam: You are correct, I was aiming to make something Na'vi inspired, as opposed to a direct copy from a movie example. I think this website explains better with pictures how to do the fishbone knots than I could with words. http://jewelrymaking.allinfoabout.com/features/hempfish.htmlIn the case of this belt, I added an extra regular square knot after each knot with "ribs."

Ma Kaltxì Palulukan: Thanks! I've loved WETA's work with costumey, prop-y things since seeing their work on Lord of the Rings. To be a part of a company like that and create material culture for all manner of fantastic creatures would be amazing, to be sure.

[Kaltxì Palulukan!]

I still say it works in a ceremonial dress sense. After all, "ALL WOMEN LIKE PRETTY THINGS."

Men everywhere need to learn that once and for all

[jparachoniak]

Men everywhere need to learn that once and for all

We prefer to call them stylist

['Awve Tìkameie]

That's very nice, well done.

[Tìng Eywatikìte'e]

Very nice. If you look at the background characters you'll see that the Na'vi have a very wide variety of clothes/ornaments. I could easily see a creative Na'vi wearing this over their normal loincloth to give it a little extra spark.

[Kaltxì Palulukan!]

Very nice. If you look at the background characters you'll see that the Na'vi have a very wide variety of clothes/ornaments. I could easily see a creative Na'vi wearing this over their normal loincloth to give it a little extra spark.

See? This is why she is a mod. She is so much smarter than me. That's what I meant (the quote above)