1983.127 Ceremonial cloth (pua kumba)

The central design motif on this pua or ceremonial cloth is known as Bali Bugau Kantu, a design that was taken from the Iban’s enemy, the Kantu, during a 19th-century raid. The design was imitated and later reinterpreted throughout the Saribas region in the south of Sarawak. The top of this cloth is banded by pyramid-like forms called Pucuk Tubu or “bamboo shoots” while chevron-like designs called Sepit Api or “fire tongs,” appear at the bottom. The heat of the tongs and the prickly bamboo, along with a border of omen birds, are image devices used to contain and calm the potent spirit of this blanket’s central design.

Master weavers and dyers participated in a ceremony known as kayau idu or “woman’s warpath.” A superior weaver’s finest creations are both complementary and integral to headhunting, as the most potent cloths were meant to protect and goad menfolk to achieve feats of great valor. Pua kumbu were sometimes hung to demarcate sacred space at ceremonies and festivals. They were also used during important rituals to celebrate a family’s success and to insure the blessings of the ancestors and deities.

Roslyn A. Walker, Label text, 2013.

n.d. Steven G. Alpert, Dallas, Texas, purchased from Micheal Tan Pek Hon, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

1983: Dallas Museum of Art, purchased from above [1]

Notes:

The main source for this provenance is the Pacific American Corp. document titled "Dallas Museum of Art: The Steven G. Alpert Collection of Indonesian Textiles" in the Collections Records file labeled Steven G. Alpert—Indonesian Textiles. Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.

[1] See pages 1-4 of the correspondence between Harry S. Parker and Pacific American Corp. dated October 5, 1983, in the Collections Records file labeled Steven G. Alpert—Indonesian Textiles.

Apply to objects where number equals 1983.127