Ceremonial textile (pua)

This fine ceremonial textile comprises two similarly ikat patterned and dyed panels that feature a dramatic, classically-drawn design highly reminiscent of the upriver style. Neatly exectued, vivid designs include a dynamic organizing structure that divides the central panel into three interlocking sections. Curling tendrils and motifs relating to flourishing plant-like forms populate the interstices of this space, further animating the surface of the textile and enhancing its agency for the wearer. Potent designs at each border include powerful renderings of spirit beings (whose legs shelter and shield the generation beside and beneath them) and a series of highly abstracted designs that create a protective, running design along the other edge. The designs in the center and the trio of patterned stripes at both sides are created by black, white and red warp ikat. These areas are both flanked and separated by groups of stripes (different widths) in white, green-grey, deep "blood"-red.

The culture and spirituality of the Iban people is interwoven with the natural environment of Borneo, an island the Iban have inhabited for many generations. The genre of pua is the woven textile most readily associated with the Iban. The dyeing and preparation of textiles is highly ritualized in Iban society and the finished textiles–with their figurative motifs–are used to convey cultural and spiritual teachings. In this respect, both the process and the finished cloth are among the Iban’s most cherished cultural practices.