The Tales Behind The Pua Kumbu

Traditional textiles can tell us a lot about the people and cultural traditions behind it, and one such textile is the Pua Kumbu, which is hand-woven and designed by Iban women. However, like many other traditional knowledge and skills, it is becoming a dying art as fewer of the younger generation of Iban women pick it up. Here to share more about the Pua Kumbu and what stories textiles can tell us is Dr Welyne Jeffrey Jehom, a senior lecturer at the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at Universiti Malaya. She’s also the founder of the Rumah Gareh Pua Kumbu Community Project, which involves Iban women coming from or living at Rumah Gareh in Kapit, Sarawak and helps them to develop the weaving of Pua Kumbu into a cottage industry. 

Image credit: Dr Welyne Jeffrey Jehom