IDNO

DG.101955.PAO

Description

Portrait of Simau anak Paka, dressed in adat gawai (pre-Christian rituals) clothing and standing in a jekau dance pose on a bamboo slat platform. She wears a sepiya (round cloth cap with red, black and white stripes and back flap), stagi (elliptical bead necklace), sembun (string of beads with canine teeth attached), kindang (dark cloth jacket), coloured sash, and Iban bidang (warp-ikat skirt). She carries a trabang (miniature leaf-shaped shield) in her left hand and a thin wooden clapper in her right.

Place

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

Cultural Affliation

Bidayuh [historically Land Dayak]

Named Person

Simau anak Paka

Photographer

?Paka anak Otor

Collector / Expedition

Paka anak Otor

Date

circa 1960 - 1970

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]

Contextual information: From the 1960s, Kampung Benuk became a popular tourist destination famous for its longhouse. Paka’s family were central to this nascent industry, playing host to armed forces, civilian tourists, visiting dignitaries and officials. They commonly performed dances for these visitors which were based on adat gawai (pre-Christian rituals) ceremonies. Simau was dressed up to perform the jekau dance when the photograph was taken. [Liana Chua 28/8/2007]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Liana Chua 28/8/2007]