Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Mat |
Collection |
Oil Museum of Canada Collection |
Catalog Number |
OMC 1960.678.001 |
Description |
A prayer mat made of Tapa cloth which is from bark of the Tapa tree from the Fiji Islands. A design repeats four times along full length of the mat on one side only, although you can see it faintly on the other side. The repeated design in brown and tan is a large four pointed star on a striped background with a border on the long side. The four pointed star is a symbol of truth, hope and spirit. |
Provenance |
Brought back by International Driller, Earl Kodyen, from the Fiji Islands. Earl Kodyen owned and operated an oil field in Bothwell and in the early years of his marriage, to Charlotte, he would bring her to the field to show her how the equipment worked, but Charlotte found these trips tedious, dirty, and confusing. Little did she know that one day, she would be operating this field on her own with a complete knowledge of oil work. At the age of 20, Charlotte accompanied her husband to Greece for three years, where Earl was contracted as the manager of the Zakyenthos oil field. From there they would go onto Mesopotamia, where Kodyen acted as assistant manager, then to Australia shortly before the Second World War, and finally to New Guinea (modern Papua New Guina). Charlotte Kodyen recalled memories from each of these places. On the one hand, the strange new lands could be quite frightening. She recalled feeling afraid when Earl Kodyen was away from their compound in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), where everyone slept outside in the garden. In Australia, the couple were stranded on a bridge in the outback for four days when a sudden rain storm trapped them. On the other hand, it seems that Charlotte took advantage of some of the freedom afforded by living away from home. In New Guinea, she rode wild horses out to the drilling sites to visit her husband. On one special occasion in Iraq, the drillers and their families were invited by a local Sheik to dinner at his palace. They arrived to find a whole lamb in the centre of the table, on top of a bed of grape leaves. The evening's activities included a visit to the Sheik's harem and a camel ride in the desert. The couple eventually returned to Bothwell where they continued production on their oil field. After Earl Kodyen died, Charlotte took up responsibility for the field and learned all there is to know about the oil business. She once boasted, "I could even repair a pump, I think, if I had to." |
Dimensions |
W-76.2 L-142.2 cm |
Search Terms |
International Drillers Souvenir South Pacific Fiji Islands Religion Prayer Mat Memento |
People |
Kodyen, Earl |