RM58,000 Pua Kumbu a prized feature at Borneo Craft Fest

KUCHING (Oct 28): A 58-year-old ‘Pua Kumbu’ (traditional Iban woven textile), valued at RM58,000, is a prized feature at the ongoing Borneo Craft Festival (BCF) 2024, taking place at Kuching Waterfront.

This piece is displayed at the ‘SEB-Baleh HEP Tekstil Sarawak’ booth, which exhibits products made by Josefine Midong Jubin, the owner of Tenun Iban Kumang Balleh JMJ.

She says she has been making this particular ‘pua kumbu’ since 1966, when she was still in primary school.

“I’ve been involved in this craft since I was very young. Before I even held a pencil, I was already weaving.

“My grandparents taught and encouraged me. They said: ‘If you want to earn money, make Pua Kumbuand sell it to fund your schooling’.

“Back then, a piece this size would only sell for RM15. Now, it is valued at RM58,000!” she told The Borneo Post.

Hailing from Baleh near Kapit, Josefine said she made the 58-year-old Pua Kumbu using her grandparents’ traditional method called the ‘ngar’.

The process, according to her, would neutralise the natural chemical reactions in the fibres, preserving the yarn from deterioration.

“The process would take seven days and seven nights. At night, we would ‘bun’ (a meticulous bundling process to embed the dye). If it did not rain, we would soak the yarn in natural ingredients during the day.

“After this, we would rinse it, spin it, start ‘tying’ the motifs, and then begin the dyeing using all-natural colouring agents from plants like the ‘mengkudu’ root,  ‘Penawar Landak’ root, ‘sebangki’ wood, ‘jangau’ root, and ‘engkerabai’ bark,” said Josefine, adding that her creation stood out from the others due to her grandmother’s strict guidance, which taught her to be highly meticulous.

“My grandmother would always remind me: ‘If you’re using mengkudu for the dye, don’t skip the ‘jangau’, ‘kapur sirih’, or ‘gambir’ leaf.”

The process would take around three months to complete, as she applied a technique called ‘serak’ (layering or stacking the yarns in preparation for weaving) to enrich the fabric’s texture and depth.

“We would weave two or three layers at a time. With three layers, we can produce six pieces. Despite the long process, we have created something beautiful out of the usage of skills – and also patience,” she said.

“Weaving is less challenging these days because various types of yarns are readily available, allowing me to create and sell a wide variety of designs.

“In the past, however, it was difficult because we had to use the ‘benang gasing’ (hand-spun yarn from natural fibres), which we made ourselves. Today, it’s much easier,” she added.

After getting married in 1974, Josefine became – and continue to be – a full-time homemaker, but she still continues her craft.

She said throughout the years, many organisations had noticed her work and invited her to various events to promote it.

“If there’s any event with a craft exhibition, they’d invite me. I’ve travelled all across Malaysia, and even went to London for the London Craft Week in 2023.”

Josefine said she plans to continue this craft, aiming to bring out the art of Pua Kumbu to broader audiences and inspire future generations to appreciate and bring this heritage forward.

BCF 2024 is being run in connection with this year’s Sarawak Regatta. It is open until Nov 3.