KUCHING: While strolling along the Kuching Waterfront this week, one can’t help but notice a striking and exquisite piece of a maroon-coloured Pua Kumbu (hand-woven Iban textile).
Incredibly, this Pua Kumbu, measuring two meters wide and four feet long, features motifs resembling human faces, and has a history that stretches back 300 years.
It has been passed down through seven generations to its current holder, who is a 64-year-old Iban woman, Josefine Midong Jubin, who hails from Rh Unggam Majau, Nanga Entawau, Baleh, Kapit.
Josefine was invited by Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) and had travelled from her hometown to Kuching to participate in the Borneo Textile Craft Festival (FKTB) 2023 held in conjunction with this year’s Sarawak Regatta – Kuching Waterfront Festival, and she seized the opportunity to exhibit the Pua Kumbu weaved by her ancestor.
“The Pua Kumbu displayed here is the skilled work of my ancestor. Her name was Sudan, and she weaved this Pua Kumbu when she was just 12 years old.
“As you can see, the Pua Kumbu features a motif resembling human faces, and this motif is called ‘Buah Niga Bekurung’,” she told New Sarawak Tribune at the Kuching Waterfront.
Josefine explained that for the Iban community, Pua Kumbu often serves as a reflection of their dreams.
“For us Iban, when we gaze at the full moon, it is as if there is a human figure or a sense of presence within it.
“We refer to this presence as ‘Akik Ungkok’ – someone who stays on the moon. We call them Akik Ungkok as we do not know its actual name.
“But in my ancestor’s dream, the name ‘Niga Berkurung’ was revealed to her,” she said.
She said that in her ancestor’s dream, she received a message instructing her to weave the face of ‘Niga Berkurung’.
“My ancestor was given a message to weave the face, with the message, ‘Weave my face so that your children and grandchildren will be like the moon’ – this means that our generations will be successful and always on the top and this is the meaning of this Pua Kumbu,” she said, adding that the threads to weave the Pua Kumbu got its colours with natural dye.
She added that while it might be difficult for some to believe the significance of her ancestor’s dream, her seven children have all excelled in their studies and careers.
Regarding her role as the holder of the Pua Kumbu, Josefine explained that the people in her village including her father had dreamed that she should bear the name of her ancestor, Sudan.
“Thus, the people in the village also called me Sudan and this means I have also been entrusted with the responsibility to look after this Pua Kumbu,” she said.
She then said Pua Kumbu is a very sacred cloth for the Iban community, where it is used in sacred ceremonies and in rites of passage marking one’s birth, death or marriage, as well as a healing ritual.
“So, for this ‘Niga Bekurung’ Pua Kumbu, we still use it during celebrations like Gawai, where we hang it from the ceiling. It’s not to be stepped on or crossed,” she said, adding that it is also used in wedding ceremonies.
On regular days, she mentioned that the Pua Kumbu is carefully stored in a locked cabinet.
When asked if the piece of Pua Kumbu is available for purchase, she smiled and responded: “I’ve discussed it with my family, and if someone wishes to buy it, the family is willing to consider selling it.”
“Alternatively, if the Museum Department decides to buy it, we may request some form of compensation,” she said.
Josefine has more than 50 years of experience as a Pua Kumbu weaver. She embarked on this journey at the young age of seven, learning the art from her grandmother.
Today, she remains an active weaver and conducts weaving classes for those interested in learning from her.
Unfortunately, her six sons and one daughter have yet to show an interest in weaving.
“At present, my children are occupied with their own pursuits. I hope that someday they will take an interest in learning, allowing them to continue my legacy in crafting Pua Kumbu and other crafts,” she said.
The Borneo Textile Craft Festival (FKTB) 2023 will run until Nov 5 from 10am to 10pm. The event features various interesting activities such as craft sales, craft demonstrations, interactive craft, new craft product exhibition, National Craft Institute Satellite Campus exhibition, MYCRAFTSHOPPE exhibition, community craft product sales, visitor encouragement activities, and many more.
