Ceremonial banner

This is a rare, early and extremely finely executed Iban ceremonial banner from Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia. Ceremonial textile banners are of important cultural significance for Iban communities where they play important roles during the community’s seasonal calendar. Ceremonial banners such as these were associated with harvest ceremonies and were suspended from long poles or from the ceilings of the open verandahs of Borneo longhouses during Gwai festivals. In the past, their cultural significance also derived from their role in the complex rituals and ceremonial rites that were associated with headhunting rituals. The textile features bold designs executed in the intricate dye-patterning technique known as ikat. Its rich iconography includes human figures and snakes with stylized heads that recall those depicted on Naga serpents and are typical of designs produced on textiles by the Kantu group from West Kalimantan, Borneo. This particular ceremonial textile has an extraordinary level of provenance detail: It was collected in situ by Michael Palmiri at the SK Lepong Gaat Longhouse, Borneo, on October 30, 1976.