IDNO

DG.101873.PAO

Description

Photograph of a wooden slat corner of Paka’s mini-museum, showing various objects in his collection.
In the foreground can be seen two sets of bark straps of the ayun (cradle and ritual swing; not in frame). Next to it, on the left, is a ?jar with ritual staffs (including gian skud), a set of wooden crutches and other long thin objects sticking out of it.
Mounted on the wall behind it is a row of four large bronze gongs and one smaller gong, all heirlooms which are also used in adat gawai (indigenous pre-Christian rituals) ceremonies. Above the gongs is a row of metallic discs, possibly offering plates. A ?European hat, ?riding crop and rifle, probably gifts from visitors, have been inserted in the middle of the gongs and discs.
On the left, from top to bottom, are: a large vertical weave rattan basket. A bamboo tobacco box with a lid and bark strap. A nengin (shield) shaped like a leaf with a central red rectangular strip onto which designs have been carved. A small gong. ?Rattan loops.
On the right, suspended from a wooden beam, from top to bottom: a plastic bag filled with an object. A tempayan (bowl made of half a polished coconut husk). A set of woven rattan ‘bells’ for use in girls’ rituals. Two hollow gourds, probably used as water carriers.

Place

SE Asia Borneo; Malaysia; Sarawak; Penrissen; Kampung Benuk [Kampung Segu Bunuk]

Cultural Affliation

Bidayuh [historically Land Dayak]

Named Person

Paka anak Otor

Photographer

None

Collector / Expedition

Paka anak Otor

Date

circa 1960 - 1980

Collection Name

Paka anak Otor Collection

Source

Paka anak OtorChua, Liana

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

Source: A selection of 185 prints from Paka anak Otor’s larger collection of approximately 500 prints was made by Liana Chua during fieldwork in Kampung Benuk, Sarawak, Malaysia, in 2005. These photographs were taken, sent to and collected by Paka over about fifty years (circa 1950-2000). The purchase of non-exclusive reproduction rights [RM 1845, £250] by the Museum to the family of Paka anak Otor [82 Kampung Benuk, Jalan Puncak Borneo, Kuching 93250, Sarawak, Malaysia], and digital copy photographs of the collection [RM 869, £125] were paid for by the Museum Acquisition Fund [£250] and part of a Crowther-Beynon grant [£125] for the collecting of Sarawak objects. The digital scans were made by Fung Huang Colour Photo Centre [153 Padungan Road, Kuching, Sarawak] in 2005. [Liana Chua 2/8/2007]

Biographical and Contextual Information: Paka anak Otor (1927-2004), was a former tua gawai (ritual chief) and owner of Paka’s Mini-Muzium in Kampung Benuk, a Bidayuh village in Penrissen, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. The mini-museum began as Paka’s small personal collection of family heirlooms (including gongs and Chinese trade porcelain) and other objects which he “liked to look at”. During the ‘Confrontation’ years between Malaysia and Indonesia (1963-1966) Kampung Benuk became a popular recreational destination for British, Australian and American servicemen stationed nearby at the Malaysian-Indonesian border. Paka’s household - then run by his charismatic tua gawai father Otor anak Sunjam (d. 1978) - was one of their main ports of call, and often the recipient of their gifts and souvenirs, including military plaques, film reels, cameras and sweets. These items were incorporated into Paka’s collection, which also came to include locally made artefacts such as baskets, tools and water carriers, and various natural objects like snakeskins, branches and stones. From the 1970s, Kampung Benuk became a popular tourist destination famous for its longhouse. Paka’s family remained central to this nascent industry, playing host to civilian tourists, visiting dignitaries and officials. As Paka’s collection grew, visitors began calling it a ‘mini-museum’; the name has since stuck. Paka passed away in 2004, but his widow and family continue to run the mini-museum, which is visited mainly by tourists. For more information on Paka’s mini-museum, see Chua, Liana. 2006. Antiques and Adat: the changing face of Paka’s mini-museum, Kampung Benuk, Penrissen, Kuching. Institute of East Asian Studies Working Paper No. 11. Kota Samarahan: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. [Liana Chua 2/8/2007]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Liana Chua 2/8/2007]