IDNO

DG.102003.PAO

Description

A tall man in a patterned shirt and trousers, possibly the Sultan of Pahang, Abu Bakar (1932-1974), and his host, Otor anak Sunjam, dressed in his tua gawai (ritual chief) outfit of a headscarf, stagan (leopard teeth necklace), vest with stars sewn onto it, shirt and trousers, look at and talk about an object to the right of the frame (unseen), possibly a sangar (bamboo ‘altar’).
In the background stand a few men in shirt and tie or military uniforms, probably part of the visitor’s entourage. They are standing in an open-sided wooden porch surrounded by foliage, possibly at Otor’s house.

Place

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

Cultural Affliation

Bidayuh [historically Land Dayak]

Named Person

?Sultan Abu Bakar of Pahang; Otor anak Sunjam

Photographer

?Paka anak Otor

Collector / Expedition

Paka anak Otor

Date

20 April 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]

Context: Kampung Benuk has been a small-scale tourist attraction since the 1960s, being particularly famous for its longhouse. Its first visitors were often members of the British, Australian and American armed forces stationed nearby during the Confrontation years between Indonesia and Malaysia (1963-1966); later visitors included civilian tourists, foreign dignitaries, UNESCO representatives, film crews, and government officials. Otor and his family were central to this nascent industry, often playing host to the visitors and performing dances for their entertainment.
In 2004-5, a number of people in Kampung Benuk identified the visitor in the photograph as the Sultan of Pahang.
Benuk’s visitor numbers appear to have peaked around the 1970s and 1980s, especially with increasing domestic and Asian tourism and the state government’s tourist promotion efforts. Today it remains a fairly popular attraction despite its much diminished longhouse. [Liana Chua 30/8/2007]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Liana Chua 30/8/2007]