The Southeast Asian island of Borneo is one of the largest in the world, divided politically among Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Its thickly forested interior is home to Indigenous peoples known collectively as Dayaks. The Iban, or Sea Dayaks, live primarily on the northwest coast, in Sarawak, Malaysia.
Historically, Iban women were admired for their weaving skills and men for their prowess as warriors and headhunters. As recently as the 20th century, Iban men collected the heads of enemies as ritual objects to protect the community’s well-being.
In times of warfare, Iban men wore woven, sleeveless jackets called “kalambi” as part of their ritual attire. This cotton example from the late 19th or early 20th century is covered with eight-pointed stars and abstract figures, probably ogres designed to inspire fear in an enemy and provide protection to the wearer. A fringe on the back is made from valuable imported beads.
Detail of kalambi.
After weaving the basic cloth, women used a technique called “sungkit” to create the patterns. Named after the Malay word meaning “to hook,” this painstaking technique involves hooking and lifting threads from the cloth with a bone needle, and then inserting decorative threads. The dangling ends of these threads are visible on the inside of this jacket.
While the Iban no longer practice headhunting, they maintain many other traditions and rituals, including an annual festival celebrating their rich weaving heritage.
