Old photographs with pua kumbu?

Provenance/Location: Gambar diambi ba kebun Sungai Kara di Ulu Krian, Saratok.
Date/Period: 1930s.
Event: Photography session of ancestors.
Photo courtesy of James Joshua.


Do you have old photographs which show pua kumbu being displayed in their natural environment and/or cultural context? If you do and don't mind sharing them, please contact me as I wish to collect old photographs which have pua kumbu, for publication in my book on pua kumbu.

All you have to do is scan high resolution copies of your photos and email them to me. It doesn't matter if they are partly damaged or blurred or discoloured - this is to be expected of old photographs. A brief description of who the people were and what they were doing (event), when were these photos taken (date or year) and where (location) would be helpful. I would credit you as the owner of the photos.

The mechanical loom.

photo courtesy of dayanglaing.blogspot

A new contraption replacing the back-strap tension loom. Now this is an innovation that will revolutionise the weaving of pua kumbu by leaps and bounds. It takes the labour out of the final stage of weaving, and allows the weaver to invest more time on the actual kebat, which is where it really matters. It also means consistency of tension resulting in a pretty uniform warp; no more out-of-shape cloths. Soon, we might even see the battery operated or electrical loom, making the weaving process totally mechanised?

With this new technology, I hope to see more intricacy, detail and care being worked into patterns during the kebat and a return to the ancient custom of weaving dreams and philosophies and a full restoration of the kayau indu.

Click here to see more photos.

A, B and C.

Three pieces. All of the same pattern. All bearing the semalau labang; the white outermost selvedge (a distinctive mark of the master weaver). Each woven by three different ladies of the same family.

A


B


C



A was woven by Esah, the younger sister of Sendi. B was woven by Jelawai, Esah's sister-in-law. C was woven by Sendi. All three ladies lived under the same longhouse roof and were contemporaries. But their blankets are all markedly different in execution, control and level of expertise. Yet, all three were master weavers as evidenced by the semalau labang.

B and C display the pattern in symmetry while A has the pattern one fold removed (pulai kiba'). Yet, they are all the same pattern, equal in status.

1. But were the blankets themselves equal in spiritual strength?


2. Why did all three ladies of the same family weave this particular pattern?


3. What was each lady trying to communicate through her blanket?


4. Who wove which blanket first or did they all weave the same pattern at the same time?

The answers to all these questions make an excellent study for the student of the pua kumbu. Everything you thought you knew about the pua kumbu or may have read may not hold true after all. These three pieces together set a hitherto unexplored scenario requiring a paradigm shift in how we understand weaving in Iban culture.


Note: A and B were displayed in the wrong orientation during photography, and have been corrected (photographs inverted) for the purpose of this entry. A is pesaka di intu Ini' Florence, B is pesaka di intu Aunty Gulang, and C is pesaka di intu the author. For an explanation of the pattern, read The Revenge of Remi. Pesaka di intu is Iban for 'heirloom in the custody of'.