Ceremonial Cloth (pua sungkit)

18th–19th century

Not on view

This exceptional Iban ceremonial cloth (pua sungkit) is an early example from the Ulu Ai area in Sarawak, northwest Borneo or Kalimantan. Woven from handspun cotton with natural dyes, the technique is a warp wrap with supplemental weft. Two separate panels are joined by a seam that runs down the middle of the cloth. The cloth is a rich red color offset with highlights in a range of lighter colors that embellish the complex designs and patterning. These designs and patterns include stylized plant, human and animal figures, all contained in the potent central panel enclosed by vertical stripes at each border. The iconography on this cloth is directly related to <i, the avian god of war and references spiritual warfare and the practice of headhunting. The complex interlocking diamond motifs are a further reference to esoteric practice, the symbolism of motifs strongly grounded in the idea of sacred oracles and the arts of divination, namely the rites associated with the interpretation of pig’s liver as these were used to divine the future and foretell events, a signal of the ritual potency of these ceremonial textiles. Woven from handspun cotton with natural dyes, the technique is a warp wrap with supplemental weft. Two separate panels are joined by a seam that runs down the middle of the cloth.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Ceremonial Cloth (pua sungkit)
Date: 18th–19th century
Geography: Borneo, Ulu Ai area
Culture: Iban people
Medium: Handspun cotton; natural dyes; warp wrap supplemental weft
Dimensions: W. 42 1/2 × L. 82 in. (108 × 208.3 cm)
Classification: Textiles
Credit Line: Gift of Lisa Alter and Joel Confino, 2021
Object Number: 2021.438.1
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

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