The Study of Iban Traditional Motifs of Sudan’s Ruma Weaving Textile
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24191/idealogy.v10i2.882Abstract
Iban traditional attire weaving contains a rich history derivative of the cultural identity, beliefs,
customs, and traditions of the Iban people. It is considered an important material culture or cultural
artifact in Sarawak culture. The social and cultural identity of the Iban people is reflected in their
costumes, which symbolize the importance of life via intricate aesthetic ornamentation. The way of
living and belief practised by Iban are implicated in the local products, such as the Iban’s textile, which
is embedded with design motifs inspired by flora, fauna, and animism The focus of this study is on Iban
traditional attire weaving. There were 4 traditional attires used as study material collected from the
Sudan Ruma weaving. This study identification of the Iban traditional motif weaving motifs of the
weaving motifs of Iban traditional attire by using qualitative methods such as primary and secondary
data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with two experts and specialists. The results indicated
different categories of motifs that were closely correlated to the Iban people's philosophy, culture, and
beliefs. Most of the Iban traditional attire was decorated with numerous repeated motifs. On this basis,
it is hoped that this study could serve as a reference concerning the cultural heritage of Iban traditional
attire weaving motifs and recommended that further exploration should be carried out concerning
weaving motifs of traditional Iban traditional attire in the Iban community.
Keywords: Iban, Traditional Attire, Cultural Identity, Weaving, Motif
References
Appell, G. (2001). Interethnic Conflict in Borneo. Anthropology News, 42(6), 20-21.
Chelum A., Durin A., Lim Keh Nie C., Hamizan, M. Q., & Samaroon, M. J. (2018). The Iban Textiles.
Journal of Borneo-Kalimantan, 4(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.33736/jbk.915.2018
Durin, A., Shah, Z. M., Helena, B., & Abdullah, M. G. (2011). Pengaruh Ngayau Atau Headhunting
Dalam Penciptaan Motif-Motif Tekstil Pua Kumbu Masyarakat Iban di Sarawak (Influences of
Ngayau or Headhunting in The Production of Pua Kumbu Textile Motives in Iban. Jurnal Melayu,
7, 303-316.
Edmund Pawie (2023, May 30). Personal communication (Personal interview).
Gavin, T. (2022). Iban ritual textiles. BRILL.
Haddon, A. C., & Start, L. E. (2011). Iban or sea Dayak fabrics and their patterns: A descriptive
catalogue of the Iban fabrics in the Museum of archaeology and ethnology Cambridge. Cambridge
University Press.
Jehom, W. J. (2016). The Seductive Warp Thread: An Evolutionary History of Ibanic Weaving by
Michael Heppell. Phillips: Borneo Research Council, 2014. 189 pp
Klinsing, J., & Usop, C. (2020). The Iban’s Community perceptions of Pua Sungkit Weaving at Batang
Ai: Persepsi Masyarakat Iban terhadap Tenunan Pua Sungkit di Batang Ai. KUPAS SENI, 8(2), 21-
43.
M. Saiful Islam & Hazirah S. Abdullah (2015). Fabric that weaves stories: Pua kumbu and
contemporary Iban identity construction in Sarawak, Malaysia, Asian Ethnicity, DOI:
10.1080/14631369.2015.1106305.
Purwanto, S., Nugroho, A. and Trismaya, N (2018). The Return of Pua Kumbu: The Struggle of the
Iban Traditional Weaving in Kapuas Hulu, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. In Proceedings of the 1st
International Conference on Recent Innovations (ICRI 2018), pages 1519-1525 ISBN: 978-989-758-
458-9.
Sutlive, V. (2012). Janang anak Ensiring, Jantan Umbat, and Dr. Robert Menua Saleh, eds., 2011, Bup
Sereba Reti Jaku Iban. Borneo Research Bulletin, 43, 291-293
Sudan Ruma (2023, May 25). Personal communication (Personal interview).
Truna, L., Tugang, N., Shaipullah, N. M., & Mahyan, N. R. (2022). Analysis Of Crystallographic
Patterns of Iban Pua Kumbu. Journal of Pharmaceutical Negative Results, 323-341.
Zhang. W. (2004). “Walking through the Indigenous Religious Field: A Report from Malaysian
Borneo” The Virginia Review, Virginia Consortium of Asian Studies, Volume VII.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 UiTM Press
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
UiTM Press (the Publisher) has agreed to publish the undersigned author’s paper in Idealogy Journal. The agreement is contingent upon the fulfilment of a number of requirements listed below.
1. The undersigned author warrants that the paper entitled below is original, that it is not in any way libellous or unlawful in Malaysia, that it does not infringe any copyright or other proprietary right. The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that he/she is the author of the paper, except for material that is clearly identified as to its original source, with permission notices from the copyright owners where required. The undersigned represents that he/she has the power and authority to sign and execute this agreement.
2. The undersigned author warrants that the paper entitled below has not been published elsewhere, and also it will not be submitted anywhere else for publication prior to acceptance/rejection by this Journal.
3. By submitting the paper entitled below, the undersigned author agrees to transfer the rights to publish and distribute the paper in an international e-journal (entitled above) to Publisher.
4. The undersigned author agrees to make a reasonable effort to conform to Publisher's submission guidelines and to liaise with the editor to ensure that the requirements of these guidelines are met to a reasonable degree.
5. The corresponding author signs for and accepts responsibility for releasing this material on behalf of any and all coauthors. This agreement is to be signed by at least one of the authors who has obtained the assent of the co-author(s) where applicable. After submission of this agreement signed by the corresponding author, changes of authorship or in the order of the authors listed will not be accepted.
