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313 Borneo, Kalimantan
Pua (blanket)  
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| Locale: | Kantu (Kantuk, Kantu') |
| Period: | Pre-1931, probably late 19th c. |
| Yarn: | Cotton, hand-spun, very fine - plus pinstripes in commercial cotton |
| Technique: | Warp ikat |
| Panels: | 2 |
| Size: | 76 x 170 cm (2' 5" x 5' 6") LW: 2.24 |
| Weight: | 245 g (8.6 oz), 190 g/m2 (0.62 oz/ft2) |
| Design: | The design has the angularity that is typical for the Kantu, though the borders do not have the Kantu hallmark of alternating light and dark triangles, and are typical for the upper Kapuas, particularly for the Iban and Kantu living in the area. The bottom row of small motifs (see image below) may represent severed heads alternated with small bird motifs.
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| Comment: | This small but extremely fine pua (note the specific weight of just 190 g/m2) was acquired in situ in the 1920s by an uncle of the field collector and ethnographer René Wassink, who served in the military in the Dutch East Indies from 1920 onwards. Since the gentleman's repatration in 1931 the cloth has lain stored in a closet. As the cloth has some traces of use, albeit very light, and any use would be limited to ceremonial occasions, it is assumed that the it already had a few decades of age when it was collected. This would match observations on yarn that were made over time using microscopy: very fine hand-spun yarn such as this is found only on ikat made in and before the very early 20th. |
| Background: | Chapters on Borneo and Kalimantan. |
| Sources: | Description relies on comments by Michael Heppell. |
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©Peter ten Hoopen, 2024
All rights reserved.
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