Borneo Dayak Runner / Wall Hanging TRIBAL ANCIENT Motif

"Pua Kumbu", is a Borneo Island's well-known tribal textile, a fabric, that was also known as ritual cloth. It is mainly, & traditionally handwoven by Iban (largest Dayak tribe in Borneo) women, acclaimed as the finest weavers in all of Borneo. Pua Kumbu weavings were used mainly in ritual, ceremonies & festival associated with their traditional religion & beliefs of their people. It serves as a means of communication between this world & the other world of ancestors, spirits & gods.

This native woven cloth of the Iban of Sarawak, is no longer confined to use as wall-hangings and table cloth, they are now specially made for fashion and furnishings. Weavers use dyes made from roots, bark leaves and other vegetation. These natural dyes are closely guarded secrets and getting the right tones is a difficult skill that requires much experience. Dying often takes months and the cotton yarn is dyed many times to get the right shade. The patterns used in all the weaving are based on the motifs as seen in the many other Sarawak decorative arts. Some common symbols include birds, deer, snakes, leeches, centipedes, squirrels, frogs, flower and fruits. The higher symbols are of humans and spirits.