| The woven textiles of Borneo are known to collectors world wide. The pua khumba are the most distinct. We particularly like the sungkit technique where a supplementary weft is used to create motifs. The classic textile is of home grown cotton, patterns accomplished during multiple tying and dyeing steps, use of natural dyes obtained from plants of the jungle, and woven on backstrap looms, usually after field and longhouse work is finished. This was an art which confired much prestige on the weaver. It was inbueed with religious and ritualistic significance and taboos. It would be dangerous for an novice weaver to attempt powerful designs. The pua played a major role in headhunting and fertility rites. Weaving contines in the longhouses today, often using silk and modern dyes. |
