String Figures

String figures are designs that you weave on your fingers with a long loop of string. String figure designs are an ancient art/entertainment. Cultures from Asia to South America have engaged in making string figures for thousands of years. In some cultures, storytellers used string figures to illustrate their tales.�String figures are an engaging way to integrate art and social studies.

Sample these internet sites to learn more about the art of string figures.

World Wide Webs
http://www.darsie.net/string/

There's information about string figures as an art form and about their significance in native peoples of different areas of the world. According to this site, "The natives of the Gilbert Islands believed in a spirit/culture hero known as Na Ubwebwe who served as a guide to the underworld and would not allow the deceased to pass along the way unless they could perform with him a certain series of string figures." There are also instructions for string figures with a variety of difficulty levels.

Richardson School
http://www.richardsonps.act.edu.au/

Playground games from an elementary school in Australia. Click on "String Games" from the menu.

Brian Cox-The Incredible String Man
http://www.whimsical-workshop.mb.ca/string.html

He uses string figures to illustrate stories.

International String Figure Association
http://www.isfa.org/isfa.htm

There is an international association for people who are interested in string games!

Rain Forest String Figures from Guyana
http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/1414/guy.htm

Photos of a man's 1996 trip to Guyana in South America. There are images of native peoples there making string figures.

String Figure Store
http://www.stringfigurestore.com/

You can actually buy speciality string.

Author: LINDA MOSBACKER - Email linda.mosbacker@slc.k12.ut.us