Baskets from the forest: Kelabit baskets of Long Peluan.

Introduction

Before the arrival of the logging road in 1997, the Kelabit at Long Peluan traded baskets and basket parts with their neighbors and they had a thriving basket culture which flourished within the context of the times and their former farming practices. However, the weaving of baskets is becoming an activity which is less relevant to people as they change their farming practices, and as they have cash to buy baskets or their equivalent elsewhere. Thus, due to changes brought about by education, access to logging roads, and the availability of cash income, the skills of basket weaving have not been passed on between generations, even though baskets have become an icon of identity in the urban setting. Nonetheless, some skills and knowledge have been adapted by the neighboring Penan.

The Setting: the Kelabit at Long Peluan

The focus for this study is on the materials, use, and inventory of baskets at Long Peluan, a hundred-year old Kelabit settlement located on the Kelapang River, which is the headwaters of the Baram, at the southern end of the Kelabit Highlands. Currently, the longhouse comprises twenty households. It used to be on an important trading route out of the Kelabit Highlands to the coast. This journey used to take seven days on foot and by boat. The construction of a logging road in 1997 has meant the same journey can now be completed in under ten hours by truck.

Until the arrival of the road, Long Peluan had been isolated from commercial markets and was virtually self-sufficient in most items needed for subsistence. Locally-made baskets were used for all stages of rice production, hunting and gathering activities, and domestic use. Most men and women wove some form of basket, and in the past, basketry was recognized as a valuable skill. There were the time and the motivation to weave, and resources were readily available. However, this situation has changed and few community members who have completed secondary education are able to weave baskets.

Major Changes Affecting Long Peluan

First of all, education has contributed to the out-migration of the younger generation who are no longer dependent on farming. Thus the number of household members has decreased and some farms have become smaller to meet diminishing needs. However, other farmers have planted large farms in order to sell surpluses to the logging camps or in town. The values of educational achievement mean that longhouse skills of weaving and farming are not passed on and this knowledge is now held only by the senior generation.

Secondly, one or two younger families have returned to the longhouse, availing themselves of the opportunities for income through trading manufactured goods, providing transport facilities, and to work for the logging company. Cash income is gained by working in the nearby logging camp, or by selling vegetables, fish, and game to the workers of the nearby veneer factory and the logging camp. Although the main occupation of every household continues to be a combination of wet- and hill-rice cultivation, the main source of cash income is from the logging industry. This cash has enabled the purchase of motorbikes which have transformed the way land and resources are used for farming.

Thirdly, the arrival of the logging road has changed the way people farm, their labor relationships, and their material resources for farming, including their baskets. Although logging has taken place east of Long Peluan, most basketry resource materials have not yet been affected as most are available in the primary and secondary forest near the longhouse. However, it has yet to be determined how much certain rattan resources will be sustained as these are harvested by the nearby Penan.

Fourthly, the development of the nearby Penan settlement of Long Beruang and the adoption of rice cultivation by the Penan have resulted in a transfer of knowledge of basketry skills between the communities.

The discussion below will cover the materials used, baskets used in rice cultivation, baskets used within the house, heavy-duty baskets, and the all-purpose uyut barit (drawstring bag). There will also be a section that focuses on the details of parts of the baskets and the names of motifs.

Materials (1)

Long Peluan is surrounded by rainforest which has been partially logged on the eastern side and there has been until now a supply of rattan, bamboo, and other raw materials needed for basketry. However, this situation may change.

Ue Rattan (Calamus sp.)

Rattan is the most important basketry resource in Long Peluan. Most of the species required are readily available and some are traded from the Penan who travel beyond depleted areas to collect this resource at Pa' Ukan. It is not clear how much resources have been depleted by logging activities in the area. Some households where there are keen weavers of basketry items actively plant rattan, usually the versatile ue tak (Calamus caesius). Kelabit men collect the rattan and will weave burden baskets and complete other types of baskets with lashing and border work (Plate 1). The most readily available species is ue pa 'it (Calamus pogoncanthus) which is used partially split as in the ring reinforcing the border of large harvesting baskets (bu 'an), or split for the finer work of binding and lashing or twill weaving of harvesting and reaping baskets (bu 'an and ra 'ing).

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The rattan canes used unsplit for the cycloid weaving of burden baskets (bekang kerawang) are from the species ue angat and ue kusa (Calamus flabellatus) and ue rabun (Calamus javensis). These same rattans are split for the hexagonal weaving on a finer burden basket (bekang mata) and an all-purpose food-gathering basket, the kalang.

A variety of species can be split for finer work needed for the twill weaving of harvesting and reaping baskets (bu 'an, raing), daily use baskets (uyut), borders, lashing and shoulder straps (kela'ih). These are ue tak (Calamus caesius), ue kusa (Calamus flabellatus), ue pa 'it, ue toki (Calamus pogoncanthus) and ue lingan (Daemonorops sabu).

The rattan cane is harvested when the thorny leaf-sheaths begin to fall away, revealing the mature cane underneath. The cane is cut near the ground and is pulled down from the canopy, dragging it against tree trunks to discard the thorny leaf-sheaths. The immature crown is trimmed off and the harvested canes are brought back in coils or cut in pieces of the desired length. The cane can be split green and then dried before weaving. If it is not to be used immediately, it is soaked in water to prevent it from drying out and becoming too brittle. It is split using a knife and is smoothed by using a metal template called a peru, which is often made by piercing holes through the base of an empty milk tin. The rattan strands are pushed through the holes of varying sizes to obtain a uniform width of rattan strands as required.

Bulu' Bamboo (Schizostahyum blumei)

A fine bamboo which grows up to seven meters high by river banks (bulu' poran, Schizostahyum blumei) is used for making harvesting, reaping, winnowing, and all-purpose food-serving baskets. It has internodes of about one meter lengths which provide suitable long strands for weaving. These are harvested by cutting the lengths at about two centimeters below each internode. The bamboo is collected by women in one meter lengths (Plate 2). It is then split in half and each half is then split into five even sections which are held together at the node. In order to discard the inner pith, the five sections held at the node are bent outwards. The inner part peels away easily, leaving the green outer part (ling). This inner part is further split to discard the pith, leaving matte strands that are useable. The green outer surface is sometimes scraped if the weavers want to apply paint. The contrast between the outer shiny green surface and the matte inner surface is used to make patterns. Because bamboo is collected with comparative ease by women themselves, it is widely used. Once baskets have been treated with tannin paste (see below), they are strong and durable.

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Bulu' lik (Donax cannaeformis)

This plant grows in alluvial soils along streams and river banks. The long thin stems are collected and split into strands of the required size. In the process, the pith is discarded. The strands are then dried before use. In Long Peluan these are used to make mats and chicken cages (belalong la ' al).

Ubir ate Tannin Paste (Syzygium rosuletum)

A tannin paste extracted from a tree bark, ubir ate (Syzygium rosuletum), is used together with soot from tree resin (natang) to bring out the features of the pattern on bamboo baskets. The matte inner strands of the bamboo absorb the color of the tannin. This process is done yearly to strengthen the baskets and to deter insects. Plain rattan baskets are also treated in this way (Plate 3). This tannin paste is often obtained from the neighboring Penan, who venture further afield to obtain it. The outer bark of the tree is peeled off and the inner bark is scraped. The bark chips are collected and soaked in water for use as and when required. This resource may decrease in availability as the forest becomes depleted.

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Temar (Curculigo villosa)

The fibrous leaves of this plant are used to make a soft headstrap (senguloh) used on harvesting, reaping, all-purpose, and burden baskets. The leaves are split into sections and plaited. The fiber within the leaves, which twists easily, can be processed to make a fine thread.

Belaban buda (Tristaniopsis whiteana)

This is the preferred wood for use for basket supports (repit). The tree is easily recognized by its whitish colored bark and the way the bark peels away from the trunk, like scrolls of paper.

Da'un ilad (Licuala sp.)

This fan-shaped palm leaf is used to make rainhoods (samit) and large circular sunhats (raong). The leaves are collected from the deep forest by men. Women dry and trim them to the required shape and size. In the past, a thread extracted from pineapple leaves was used to sew the leaves together, but has now been replaced by commercial cotton thread.

Dyes

The Kelabit at Long Peluan for a time used black dyes to color rattan. The leaves of two species of plants were used, da'un mirir (Macaranga costulata) and da'un keraru (Archidendron clypearia). These could be used separately or combined. The leaves were pounded and infused in boiling water together with the rattan split strands. After this the dyed strands were buried in mud to fix the color. Nowadays if basket weavers want to use dyed strands of rattan, they will obtain them from the Penan.

Baskets Used by Rice Farmers at Long Peluan

Growing rice is central to the rural Kelabit way of life. The Kelabit motivation to work hard (do' seku 'al) is generated by the desire for bountiful harvests, which generate security and wealth, and for many people, prestige. In anticipation of a good harvest, it is important to have a good supply of baskets in the loft, stored directly above the fireplace to enhance durability. This is slowly changing, as will be revealed at the end of this section.

For shifting cultivators, the first stage of the rice cycle is the sowing of the rice seed. When the field has been burned and cleared, men walk along the hillsides using u'an, or dibbles, to make holes for the seeds. The women follow with the rice-seed baskets (selaban) tied to their waists, dropping seeds from their hands. The selaban is a small cylindrical basket made of bamboo with a simple rattan ring (bebpit) at the rim of the basket. It is woven by a twill technique with patterns formed with dyed strands. Rattan eyelets (telinga) are woven into the rim to facilitate tying the basket to the waist. This basket is now becoming increasingly rare as small plastic buckets and tin cans are just as convenient.

About four months after sowing, the ears of ripe grain are ready for harvesting. Each ripe rice-stalk is individually cut using a metal blade. Harvesting is usually done in cooperative groups (baya') on a reciprocal basis.

Every member of the harvesting group brings along two baskets, a smaller one for reaping (ra'ing), that is, collecting the ears of ripe padi, and a much larger one for carrying the harvested grain back to the barn or the longhouse for storage (bu'an). The reaping baskets are worn at the waist with the strap across the shoulder so that the plucked ears of rice are easily dropped inside. The group works together in a line, so that no stalk is missed. The closeness of the group provides ample opportunity for the recounting of stories, jokes, and the singing of epics, to relieve the boredom of the chore. When the reaping baskets are full, they are methodically emptied into the larger basket, the bu 'an. If men are around, one or two will take on the special task of carrying the larger bu 'an on their shoulders to collect the contents of the reaping baskets from one end of the line to the other.

Reaping Baskets (ra'ing)

There are five types of reaping baskets in use at Long Peluan. The most common type (ra'ing barit) is woven out of split bamboo in a twill technique (Plate 4). A pattern is created by the alternate plaiting of matte strands from the inner part of the bamboo and glossy outer strands. The basket is finished off with a double or single rattan ring at the rim. The long strap made of plaited leaf-fiber (temar) is threaded through eyelets on the vertical rattan supports. The final stage is the treating of the whole basket with a tannin paste obtained from a tree bark (ubir). After this, soot obtained from burning a resin (natang) is applied to give a strong dark color to the matte strands of bamboo to highlight the patterns woven on the basket.

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Another version of this basket with a more conical shape and more muted colors can be seen on the right of plate 4. This basket (ra'ing budok), which was used for two generations, is not very common now. It was worn around the waist.

In addition, larger bamboo patterned baskets (ra'ing berian) made by the Berian in Kalimantan are beginning to reach Long Peluan as trade items. These bright baskets, colored with commercial paints, are very popular with other Kelabit communities. Their ready availability means that they are used as souvenir gifts for visiting dignitaries, or at weddings.

There is also a plain rattan reaping basket (ra'ing ue) in use, made in a style similar to the bamboo version. It is plaited by a twill technique and is finished off with a double rim and vertical supports. It is very similar to another rattan reaping basket (tayen) that comes from the Lun Bawang and their counterparts from over the border, the Berian and the Kerayan.

Harvesting Baskets (bu'an)

There are two types of harvesting baskets used in Long Peluan, a smaller one made of bamboo which carries weights of about thirty kilograms and a larger rattan basket which can carry about forty kilograms, and is more commonly carried by men.

Harvesting baskets (bu'an) are for carrying harvested rice back from the fields to the grain hut or longhouse. They are also used for storing rice at various stages of processing. A detachable cover (i'ap) is fitted and tied on for this purpose.

The Bamboo Patterned Harvesting Basket (bu'an barit)

The patterned bamboo harvesting basket (bu 'an barit) woven in Long Peluan is different in shape, size, and style from other Kelabit harvesting baskets. It is cylindrical in shape, but a skillfully woven basket will be flared at the top so the rim is larger than the base. Its most unusual feature is that its vertical supports are extended below the base to form legs, which is similar to Kayan and Kenyah ingan baskets (Plate 5).

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It is woven by a twill technique with patterns worked in horizontal bands. The color is derived from the application of a soot and tannin paste which is described above. Shoulder straps and a headstrap are attached to eyelets carved into the upper part of the wooden vertical supports. The rim is completed with double or triple bands of lashing.

Because of the difference in shape, Kelabit from other parts of the Highlands do not even recognize it as a Kelabit basket. However, there is a similar basket, collected from Pa' Maria in the southern Highlands nearly forty years ago, now in the Sarawak Museum. Weavers in Long Peluan are uncertain when this style started to be woven, but readily say it is possibly influenced by the Ngurek Kenyah and predates the more recent migrations of the Lepo' Ke Kenyah in the 1950s to Long Banga. The Sa'ban and the Lepo' Ke Kenyah also weave these baskets.

Conical Harvesting Baskets (bu'an budok)

At this point it is relevant to show how the design of the flat-bottomed bamboo harvesting basket (bu 'an barit) has similarities to a conical harvesting basket, bu 'an budok (plate 6). This is not made anymore but can still be found in the lofts of Kelabit longhouses and rice barns. It was still in use up to thirty years ago, mainly where hill-rice was cultivated in the southern Kelabit areas of Pa' Main, Pa' Mada, Ramudu, and Batu Patong where many of the Long Peluan people have ancestors. It is difficult to ascertain the reason for the conical shape which would appear impractical. Informants point out that these baskets stand against fallen logs and tree stumps in areas cleared for the planting of hill-rice. Some say that they are easy to carry due to the distribution of weight. Others point out the advantages of being able to stack one basket inside the other.

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Rattan Harvesting Baskets (bu'an ue)

The Long Peluan Kelabit together with their Sa'ban and Kenyah neighbors weave large twill harvesting baskets made of rattan (Plate 7). These baskets also have vertical supports which are extended to form legs. The headstrap and shoulder straps are attached to eyelets carved in the wooden vertical supports. The wide rim is made up of three rattan rings bound together with fine rattan lashing. The large circumference of these baskets and their stocky shape is reminiscent of the cone-shaped baskets described above. Elsewhere in the Highlands these baskets are reinforced with horizontal rattan rings (beret) and are commonly bought from the Berian and Kerayan in Kalimantan.

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Changes After 1997

Farm sites are now located close to the road for ease of access using motor vehicles. In turn, harvesting practices are beginning to change. In some cases stalks of padi are put directly into recycled plastic fiber flour sacks which are easily carried by trucks or motorbikes on the road. The use of these sacks means that there is no longer need to bring reaping or harvesting baskets to the field. The latter take up space on a truck or motorbike, as they are difficult to stack. Moreover, the padi is kept in the sacks for all stages of processing.

In the past when extra labor was needed, it was done on a reciprocal basis. Gradually sometimes payment was made in terms of a basket of padi. What is increasingly happening now is that payment is no longer made in terms of baskets, but in terms of sacks.

This demonstrates the change in use of the baskets as a result of reduced farming activities and changes in the ways farming is carried out. In turn, the old reaping and harvesting baskets make their way to Miri on the coast where they decorate the carpeted living rooms of the families from the longhouse who live in this coastal city. These baskets become emblematic of the rural origins of the city-based household.

Sieving Baskets and Winnowing

The agag is a sieve used for separating husked from unhusked rice after it has been pounded by hand. It is commonly found hanging at the rice barn (Plate 8). It is loosely woven at the center in a checker technique which is converted at the sides to a closer weave in a twill technique to reinforce the border. This is further strengthened by a rattan rim so that the sieve can withstand the heavy flow of rice. The use of the rice mill renders the sieving process unnecessary, as every grain is husked.

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The Kelabit at Long Peluan have adopted from their Kenyah neighbors the herringbone pattern on the bamboo winnowing-basket (rinoh) (Plate 9). The pattern is described as tenganoh nurad (blood vessels). This basket is made in two sizes, a larger size for personal domestic use, and a smaller size for sale to Kelabit in towns.

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After the rice has been harvested, the grains are removed from the stalks by threshing them with bare feet. Once the grains have been extracted, they are further refined by winnowing. This process separates the grains from the lighter dust and chaff, prior to husking. Winnowing is a skilled task. The impure mixture of rice and chaff is thrown in the air. As the heavier rice grains fall, the winnowing tray is brought up to catch them. This movement creates a draft of air which then causes the lighter chaff and dust to fall away to the ground. This is repeated until all that is left is whole rice grains ready for husking. This process may also be repeated at later stages of the rice cycle, when pounded rice is taken out of storage. Winnowing is then done to remove any dust or weevils prior to cooking.

The winnowing tray may also be used for storing vegetables or for distributing rice packets at a feast (irau).

Baskets Used for Rice in the Kitchen Area

The beluan is a small square basket with sides of double thickness used for scooping uncooked rice from a larger container and for measuring the correct quantity for cooking. There is a clear ratio of the number of measures from the beluan that are to be used for an aluminum cooking pot, or in the old days, a large earthenware pot (kudin). It is also a measure for an amount of rice that may be given to a neighbor who is entertaining guests. A mental note is made of the gift and the gesture is reciprocated when the opportunity arises. This basket is getting rarer, because most households prefer to use containers such as recycled tins.

The i'ap is a useful bamboo basket that is woven to cover the rice in the carrying basket (bu'an) to stop it from falling out. It is commonly woven with dyed strands on the base and the back of the basket to form various patterns. The basket is finished off at the rim by folding strands back into the topmost rows. Sometimes it is finished off with a single rattan ring that conceals the rattan basket strands (bebpit). This ring is knotted to the main basket using a fine rattan (ue touki) for coiling the lashing onto the ring. It is a relatively simple basket to make, and as a result it is often the first type of basket that a young woman will learn to weave. It is a flexible shape and is also used as an all-purpose food basket, such as for keeping packets of cooked rice wrapped in leaves. It is also used for offering fruit in the evening to visitors to the hearth. This is how most people exchange news, entertain themselves, and relax after a day's work in the absence of television or radio.

A deeper basket with a lid and narrow neck is also used for storing the packets of cooked rice. This is called a ne'at in Long Peluan and a belalong nuba in Bareo (Plate 10). This is used. However, in other Kelabit longhouses and in the towns, the beluan is in popular use. These baskets used for storing packets of cooked rice are intrinsic to rural Kelabit life. A basket is the perfect container for hot packets of steaming rice as there is room for the steam to escape.

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The Drawstring Bag (uyut)--Baskets for Christians

The drawstring bag (uyut) has become popular among many different ethnic groups in Borneo. In Sarawak, the Penan are reputed to be the originators of this bag. Nonetheless, it is interesting to record how the drawstring bags made by the Long Peluan Kelabit in the 1960s reflected an important period of social change.

This period of social change came with World War II which opened up the Highlands to outside influence. By the 1950s people had become evangelical Christians and they had given up growing and smoking tobacco, brewing rice wine, and drinking alcohol. Missionaries began to foster adult literacy and encourage schooling. In the mid-1970s there was a religious revival which resulted in a questioning of certain aspects of their lives. As a result, for reasons beyond the scope of this current discussion, ancient jars and beads were destroyed, and people in Long Peluan stopped growing and trading tobacco, which had been a substantial source of revenue.

In the 1960s, women at Long Peluan learned to make the drawstring bag, known as the uyut barit, by pulling to pieces one made by their Penan neighbors at Long Beruang. The patterns were adapted from the Penan or copied from the Kelabit repertoire of patterns woven on reaping and harvesting baskets (ra'ing, bu'an barit). The women who started weaving these baskets were among the first to become literate and go to school and it was very much in the spirit of the times that Christian messages were woven onto the bags in the early 1970s, for example, "Sing for Joy," "God is Love," and "Christmas 1978" (Plate 11). The names of the weavers were sometimes woven, or the intended recipients, such as "To Mary." Occasionally these baskets were commissioned by young men as love-tokens. These baskets would be especially used on Sundays for carrying prayer books and other items to church, and they are also used for collecting money from the congregation. These baskets were then traded by the Long Peluan Kelabit throughout the Highlands and their widespread use within the community is widely acknowledged as a testimony to their success.

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Often the Kelabit would make the whole basket themselves, but they were supported by the ever-ready provision of dyed strands of rattan, rattan eyelets (kaar), and shoulder straps (kela' ih) from their Penan neighbors, who had also begun to introduce names and messages onto their uyut.

The uyut were made in various sizes. Sometimes the bag would be reinforced with a light mat lining, and it would be finished off with a net across the top to secure items inside. It would also be decorated with fine seed-bead tassels on the drawstrings.

Since the mid 1980s these baskets are no longer made, as there is no longer such a good market for them because cheaper baskets made by the Penan are readily available. However, these uyut with messages are still very much in use. From this example, it is easy to understand how historical and social factors affect a fashion in basketry. This uyut reflects a transition to literacy and Christianity and the income derived from the sale of these baskets replaced tobacco revenue which was discouraged by the church.

Heavy-Duty Baskets

Kelabit men and women use a flexible basket (kalang) plaited with split rattan from the base upwards using a hexagonal weave (matah) (Plate 12) to carry firewood, bamboo, or agricultural produce from the forest or farm back to the longhouse (Plate 13). The basic basket is put on a light rattan frame (atan, tulang kalang) so it fits well onto a person's back. Shoulder straps and a headstrap are lashed onto the frame supports. Sometimes it is lined with a light pandanus mat (liling) to give extra support for the contents of the basket. This basket is easily made and still useful. However, the Penan at Long Beruang have learned to make them, making them for sale, and have a ready market among both the urban and rural Kelabit (Plate 14).

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Burden Baskets (bekang)

The Kelabit have long had a reputation for being good walkers and being able to walk twice as fast and as far as their neighbors. In order to carry heavy loads such as trade goods, fruit, fish, or game, burden baskets are used. Given the isolation of Long Peluan, these baskets are essential for all journeys, be it to the next village for an overnight stop or to the nearest navigable river to the coast. These baskets will continue to be used in the future, especially by men, for hunting off the road, as they are strong and flexible and are designed to carry varying burdens.

The basic shape of the basket consists of a back (ketit bekang), two sides and an optional front flap which is laced onto the sides with rattan or nylon cord. The basket is usually plaited using unsplit rattan in a cycloid technique (kerawang) (Plate 15) or split rattan with a hexagonal technique (matah). The baskets are referred to by the style of weaving used, for example, bekang matah or bekang kerawang. It is difficult to differentiate between the uses of the two techniques for different baskets. It is possible to find large men's hunting baskets or smaller women's finer baskets plaited in either technique.

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The basket is not woven from the base, but in rectangular strips on a frame (tulang) (Plate 16). Thus, one long rectangular piece becomes the sides, and another smaller piece forms the front flap. The back is woven separately with a twill technique on a separate frame (atan) with the end of the main frame support posts (bangia) integrated into the back using a herringbone knotting technique (bebpit kukud ulit). At the base of the back of the basket is a wooden rectangular back support (bengar, atib).

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Different kinds of burden baskets are made for different purposes in various styles. The Kelabit say that their bekang are different from those of their neighbors because they make a differently shaped basket for women. This is a smaller basket which is shaped into the back, so it is narrower at the bottom and fits into the small of the back, being more flared at the top (Plate 17). The men's basket is more rectangular in shape. A much larger, rougher, more loosely woven cycloid basket (bekang kerawang) is used for hunting. Such baskets are able to withstand the weight of a wild boar carcass. A smaller basket is made for children to use.

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The women and children's bekang are now rarely in use as long distances are now covered by car, in fact these are becoming collectors' items by Kelabit in the city.

The essential accessories for these burden baskets are a pandanus mat (liling) used for lining the basket and the samit, an all-purpose raincoat and seat-mat. The liling is particularly important when there is no front flap to the burden basket as it serves to hold down the contents, which are further secured by cord which is threaded through and across the sides of the basket. The samit is an elongated hood made from palm leaves (daun ilad, Licuala sp.) stitched together with pineapple fiber (rusan) or bark (talun). The samit rolls up conveniently to fit discreetly into a corner of the basket. In the past, there were two types of samit, the curved hood (samit okong), to be worn to protect the head, the body, and the basket from heavy rain, and a rectangular folded sheet (samit apo') made of palm leaves stitched together. This was used as a roof when making an overnight shelter or as a sleeping mat. The availability of plastic raffia sheeting has made the samit apo' obsolete.

Added Parts:

The Basket Rim

First, the twill weaving is finished off at the rim by folding the strands back through the topmost rows. In some cases, for shallow baskets, the strands are folded over to form the rim and then worked right through to the base, so that, in fact, the sides are of double thickness. This achieves strong stiff sides that require no additional rim (Plate 18). The beluan, a basket used in the past for measuring and scooping uncooked rice, is finished according to this technique.

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Finishing borders on baskets with rattan is a task completed by men. Smaller baskets and those that bear less weight are finished with a single split ring of rattan (bebpit) which grips the inner and outer edges of the rim. This ring is first tacked on temporarily and then knotted (mepit) onto the edge of the basket using an awl (uat). Harvesting and reaping baskets are finished off with a second rattan ring. This is held in place by bands of double lashing from the lower rim. This style of finishing off baskets is very much a characteristic of Kelabit and Lun Bawang baskets. The wide rattan and wood rims that are found on Iban and Kayan baskets are not made by the Kelabit. Four rings (telinga) are plaited onto the rim of harvesting baskets. These are used to tie down a lid (i'ap) to the basket when it is used for carrying or storing rice.

Reinforcement

Harvesting and reaping baskets are reinforced with four vertical supports (repit) usually made of wood, especially belaban buda, Tristaniopsis whiteana. The supports on the Long Peluan bamboo patterned harvesting baskets (bu'an barit) are particularly distinctive, as explained earlier, because they are extended to form unusually long legs, which are useful for standing the basket up on a hill slope. It is also easier to bend down and pick up a basket that is standing on legs off the ground. There is a little ornamental carving on the two supports with eyelets (telingah) used to hold the shoulder straps. The support posts are secured just above the rim with herringbone knotting (bebpit kukud ulit) which covers the top of the post. The supports are lashed onto the outer surface of the twill weaving and reinforced from the inside with parallel rattan strips.

Rattan harvesting baskets are also reinforced with horizontal rattan supports (beret) although this is not done in Long Peluan. This was once practiced widely in the Kelabit Highlands. However, now these baskets are traded from Kalimantan and are known as bu'an berian. These tend to be of a larger size than the bamboo bu'an barit. A similar smaller reaping basket (ra'ing beret) with horizontal rattan supports, is also used in other Kelabit settlements. It, too, comes from Kalimantan.

Across the base at the back of harvesting and burden baskets, support is given by a small wooden strip (atib) (plate 19).

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Large harvesting baskets are reinforced at the base so that they will sit easily on the bund of the field. A single ring of rattan is used and this is reinforced by cycloid, checkered, or hexagonal weaving (plates 20, 21, 22).

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Shoulder straps (kela'ih) are made of a fine rattan and are plaited. The Kelabit in Long Peluan distinguish their shoulder straps as being wider, and plaited with eight strands compared to the Penan who use six, or the Kenyah, seven. Dunsmore (1991:206) comments on the fine way in which the four-strand loops at the base of the shoulder straps are folded over to form the eight-strand plaiting in a way that the ends can hardly be detected. Headstraps (senguloh) are plaited from leaf fiber (temar, Curiculigo villosa). These are used in addition to shoulder straps for any baskets that bear a substantial weight such as harvesting baskets, reaping, and burden baskets. For reaping baskets, the headstrap is worn across the shoulder. In the case of the larger-sized reaping basket, the shoulder strap may be used as a headstrap when used for carrying a heavy load over a distance.

Names of Basketwork Patterns

Many of the patterns that appear on Kelabit baskets are also woven by other ethnic groups and despite the isolation of Long Peluan, their repertoire of motifs could easily be said to be Pan-Bornean (figure 1).

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The Kelabit word barit, meaning 'motif,' refers to the name and type of the motif. This naming is used as a means to refer to the pattern and is not symbolic. The weaver weaves a triangle shape and then gives it a name, for example, barit po'o, 'banana flower,' by which to remember it. The motif does not represent a banana flower. The words "banana flower" are a means for the weaver to classify the motif. This can be further demonstrated when we examine motifs that are even less representational of the name that is given them. Thus, we have barit kukud ada which refers to ghosts' footprints. (2) Another example is barit tebangan which means 'scales' (for weighing goods) which is to be found on the back of the lid to a padi carrier (i'ap). With both these examples, it can be seen that the motifs have very little resemblance to the name that is given to them. This argument fits in very much with what Kelabit weavers themselves are saying: barit tupu, naam inan erti, "the motifs have no meanings." They are classified as just motifs, as is indicated by the word barit. Thus, names for motifs such as barit tenganoh nurad (blood vessels) or barit lipan baya (crocodile's teeth) (figure 1) have no deeper meaning. Even a name such as barit betik becun taman saging, which humorously refers to the shoulder tattoos of a certain Taman Saging (who was not Kelabit, as the latter do not tattoo their shoulders), is a name given in jest (figure 1). In looking at motifs on the baskets, it is important to consider these as labels for patterns and nothing more (cf. Gavin 1997:284).

Time, Context, and Continuity of Skills

As has been demonstrated above, a number of dynamic factors have contributed to the wide basketry repertoire of the Long Peluan Kelabit. The presence of neighboring groups is one major factor. Families in Long Peluan have long-established ties with counterpart Penan families in Long Beruang. The Penan families stay overnight and eat with their hosts and trade items such as wild-boar meat, deer antlers, resins, blowpipes, and completed baskets and mats. The Kelabit will either use the items traded from the Penan themselves, or sell them to their kin in other settlements or in town. More specifically, in relation to basketry, items such as dyed rattan strands, tannin paste, shoulder straps, and other basket parts are traded. The increasing tendency is for cash to be given, but this is sometimes supplemented by articles of clothing or rice.

It was earlier mentioned that the Kelabit took apart a Penan drawstring bag and learned to make it for themselves. So, too, as the Penan have started to farm rice, they have learned to make the same harvesting baskets and farm baskets as the Kelabit, some of which they sell (plate 23), so knowledge has been passed on. In addition, the Long Peluan Kelabit believe that the style of their unique patterned harvesting basket is a result of previous contacts with the Ngurik Kenyah. Moreover, the local Lepo' Ke Kenyah have passed on the style of their winnowing baskets. Some Kelabit have married Sa'ban from Long Banga' and there is trading of baskets between the two communities as some individuals tend to specialize in certain baskets.

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However, baskets are also traded from across the border. The availability of these baskets for relatively low prices will affect the making of baskets in Long Peluan. If basketry skills are to be encouraged in the future by commercial markets, it will be difficult for Kelabit basket-makers to compete with their Indonesian counterparts. People who hunt may still want heavy-duty baskets and they will buy them from Indonesia.

Another factor has been the context of history, time, and place as the drawstring uyut replaced tobacco as a trade item in a time of literacy and resurgence in Christian renewal. The need to make such a bag no longer exists. Similarly, as rice farming practices change, and farms are approached by vehicles using the road, there is less need for reaping and harvesting baskets, as for some people, plastic sacks are more convenient to use.

However, baskets have become a leitmotif for identity in the urban centers. The children of the senior generation treasure the old harvesting baskets and they are displayed in upholstered living rooms in Miri. A Long Peluan artist, Hendrick Nicholas, sells his paintings of baskets at the Miri Heritage center. Baskets are used as a theme for cultural dances and as decorative motifs for events such as seminars and dinners, held in five-star hotels.

Two Long Peluan weavers were invited to display their skills at the international Weft Forum in Kuching in 2001. There was a great deal of interest generated in the materials they brought for display, particularly by the Japanese contingent. They demonstrated how to color bamboo baskets using tannin paste. However, this kind of sharing was conducted at a five-star hotel completely out of a village context and the results of the demonstration were not as good as if it had been carried out in the longhouse kitchen. An urban Kelabit girl who joined her aunties learned to weave a small pandanus mat, gaining some calluses as well as experience. The time and the context were insufficient for any practical acquisition of knowledge. The knowledge related to the basketry resources and the skills of basketry are locked into a context of time and place. Passing this on as practical knowledge is taking place only between the Kelabit and Penan farming generation.

What of the future? If weavers continue their skills, if value is given to their baskets, and the materials are ready and available, there may be a future for these baskets.

Bibliography

Christensen, H. 2002 Ethnobotany of the Iban and the Kelabit. A joint publication of the Forest Department Sarawak, Malaysia; NEPCon Denmark; and the University of Aarhus, Denmark. Videbaek: Oko-Tryk.

Dunsmore, S. 1991 Basketwork. In: L. Chin and V. Mashman, eds., Sarawak Cultural Legacy Kuching: Society Atelier Sarawak. Pp. 191-215.

Gavin, T. 1997 Naming and Meaning: Ritual Textiles of the Iban of Sarawak. In: Sacred and Ceremonial Textiles: Proceedings of the Fifth Biennial Symposium of the Textile Society of America, Inc., Chicago, Illinois 1996. Textile Society of America. Pp. 280-87.

Janowski, M. H. 2003 The Forest, the Source of Life: The Kelabit of Sarawak. British Museum Occasional Paper 143, published with the Sarawak Museum.

(1) The scientific classification for most of the species mentioned in this section is taken from Christensen 2002.

(2) Janowski (2003:111) implies that this pattern may have more than a merely descriptive significance.

Valerie Mashman

ELC P.O. Box 253

93350 Kuching Sarawak

Email : [e-mail]