Context (Production / use)
Made for sale by Ngayung anak Bawin, Kampung Mentu Tapu. c. 2005. In the past, the raung was worn by pre-adolescent girls in the Mangun ritual, during which they were initiated into adat Gawai (traditional pre-Christian religion). This ritual is featured in William Geddes’ documentary, Brides of the Gods. Now increasingly rare because the upper woven 1/3 of the conical hat can only be made by women who have undergone the same ceremony (non-initiates are ritually prohibited from making it). Similar forms have however been used as purely ‘cultural’ hats by young women at beauty contests, state-sponsored cultural events, etc.
Event Date 1/6/2006
Author: maa

Description (Physical description)
Hat with woven bamboo (pisah) base for wearer, and conical top (tering), with bamboo (tering) conical top and (buruh) carved tip. Upper third of hat has woven designs (swirls: suram pengiguroh; lower triangular shapes: raang (chin) jungor (downward facing tip). Tip is made of carved bamboo (tined) and lined with silver aluminium foil (timah). Three tails of girl's hair, four strips of red cloth (sumar) and three sets of silver bells (grunung) and three-pronged silver foil paper (tingkilap) extend outward from the tip. Plastic buttons (sitang) - originally shells - are sewn into the main body of the conical top, forming intermittent triangles. Woven cylindrical bottom is woven bamboo (pisah), featuring pimaling (swirls) ijuk (a type of plant, ijuk mayang) and mata puni (pigeon's eye) motifs.
Event Date 1/6/2006
Author: maa

Description (Physical description)
Raung. Hat with woven bamboo, pigmented with red and black. Hat made out of two pieces: the conical top and rounded base for the head. There are three red fabric strips at the top tied around three tails of a girl's brown hair. White plastic buttons are placed around the rim of the hat.
Event Date 6/8/2024
Author: Diana Serediuc