How did our ancestors make their clothes with materials gleaned from the rainforest? Did they really sew without needles? Cut fabric without scissors?
These and other topics are treated in The Sartorial Heritage of Sarawak, a brief history starting in Niah Cave and taking the reader on an entertaining journey up to the present. Styles and fashions came and went. Traders from far-away lands contributed their wares to the textiles produced by the indigenous population. The influence of distant empires and dynasties washed over Borneo, leaving traces here and there. Travelers brought back new ideas and skills, all of which were adopted and adapted by the skilled craftsmen and women of the region.
Old books and printed sources have provided the material for the ‘long-ago’ part of this fascinating study, but the rapid developments of the past century were compiled mainly from interviews with countless informants. Precious memories, ‘things my grandmother told me, old tailoring tools or almost decayed garments, all are part of the story, and all find their place in The Sartorial Heritage of Sarawak.
The author, Heidi Munan, has spent more than fifty years researching the material culture, folklore and history of Sarawak. She is well placed to research the literature and collect information, stories and anecdotes to assemble the scintillating puzzle that is the The Sartorial Heritage of Sarawak.
About the Author
Heidi Munan has been studying the material culture of Sarawak for over 30 years. In her capacity as a private researcher and Honorary Curator of beads at the Sarawak Museum, she has had ample opportunity to study and learn from indigeneous experts and foreign scholars in this and related fields. She has also published books, articles and papers on various topics related to Sarawak and Borneo, and has contributed to Malaysia: Heart of Southeast Asia published by Archipelago Press.
