IDNO

DG.101887.PAO

Description

Otor anak Sunjam, wearing a tee-shirt, trousers, thick glasses, ?gold watch and a stagan (leopard teeth ritual necklace worn by men), poses with a visiting ?family of a man, woman and two girls, on the grassy mound in front of his house overlooking the longhouse at Kampung Benuk. The tourists are probably from Malaysia or elsewhere in Southeast Asia; the man carries a camera around his neck.
Behind them is one end of the longhouse, showing the bamboo slat tanju (open gallery) and large sloping thatched attap roof on the right. Part of the tanju, in the left-hand corner, may be in the process of being dismantled or constructed. Clothes lines can be seen hanging on the tanju.
In the background to the left can be seen the top of a nearby mountain. The area around the longhouse is filled with coconut trees.

Place

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

Cultural Affliation

Bidayuh [historically Land Dayak]

Named Person

Otor anak Sunjam

Photographer

?Paka anak Otor

Collector / Expedition

Paka anak Otor

Date

circa 1960 - 1978

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. 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 Information: Otor anak Sunjam (d. 1978) was the father of Paka anak Otor, who owned the mini-museum in Kampung Benuk. He was also the village’s tua gawai (ritual chief), and often played host to visitors from the British, Australian and American navies, dignitaries, tourists and government officials. [Liana Chua 2/8/2007]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Liana Chua 6/8/2007]