KUCHING: Pua Kumbu is a handwoven textile that is significant to the Iban community. In ancient times, it was used as a blanket.
The Pua Kumbu motifs such as snakes, crocodiles and others each has its own meaning.
It can take up to months to produce a piece of Pua Kumbu owing to its complexity.
Today, Pua Kumbu is used in rituals, during the Gawai Festival, weddings, or even given as a souvenir.
According to Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Sarawak, College of Creative Arts senior lecturer Wan Juliana Emeih Wahed, Pua Kumbu is not merely just a cultural expression.
“It represents the wealth of information and the ability to pass the information from one generation to another.
“Basically, the responsibility to protect and transmit the values and traditions of all cultures for the sake of future generations is not shouldered by one person but it’s a universal responsibility and cultural diversity, which needs to be equally recognised and respected by different cultural communities.”
Juliana studied Pua Kumbu and her studies focused on understanding the visual complexity of the design motifs.
“The essence of designing this art piece is based on the local knowledge gathered by the weavers, directed by Iban culture, dreams, Iban folklore, natural surroundings, and taboos.”
“The visual complexity is the materialisation of imagination or an imitation of the original shape of the motifs, whether flora, fauna, figures, abstract or contemporary.
In other words, it depends on their freedom of choice,” she said.
On top of that, she said the visual complexity of the Pua Kumbu design motifs was highly subjective, which hinged on the shape, line, form, size, colour, and so forth and relied on the stories that the weavers try to portray in the textile.
“Every design motif applied in the Pua Kumbu is connected, and the weaver’s interpretation can be translated within the combination. Only a person with Pua Kumbu art knowledge can successfully ‘read’ it.”
Meanwhile, Datin Melia Gelen began weaving Pua Kumbu when she was in primary school.
“My mother taught me how to make Pua Kumbu since I was in primary school. Life was difficult then, we needed money to cover our school expenses. Every school break, my siblings and I would weave Pua Kumbu to make some pocket money,” she said.
In order to produce a high-quality product, she emphasised that making Pua Kumbu required several steps that must be followed, a significant amount of time invested, and in-depth knowledge and expertise.
Despite the fact that she no longer weaves, having worked with government prior and now running her own business (De’Mlya Boutique), she would still be involved such as assisting her sister in promoting the Pua Kumbu that they created.
Her goal, according to her, is to boost the socioeconomic wellbeing of womenfolk in her community since they required a larger platform to market their handwoven products. She also wants to preserve the Iban community’s rich cultural heritage by promoting it.
She had always intended to host a Pua Kumbu weaving class, but this has not happened yet. She considered her sister to be the teacher because her sister was more qualified to impart the art of making Pua Kumbu. As for herself, she modestly said that her expertise was still insufficient.
“There are many people who wish to learn but there aren’t many Pua Kumbu weaving workshops offered locally.”
