Crafts and the visual arts/ Contents

Textiles of Sarawak

Heidi Munan

backstrap loom

The backstrap loom

The earliest cloth used in Sarawak was made of tree bark and formed the clothing of most of the state’s indigenous groups. The subsequent introduction of the backstrap loom and cotton yarn, probably originating from India, led to the establishment of a continuing weaving tradition and the creation of woven textiles for clothing as well as ceremonial and ritual purposes. The most famous textile is the tie-dyed pua kumbu of the Iban, whose weavers also produce a form of brocaded cloth and a striking supplementary weft textile called sungkit.

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  • Weaving