Material: Beads
Style: Kalimantan, Indonesia
Size: Length 32 cm, Width 26.5 cm
Order Number: E4A

This original piece from a babycarrier is slightly damaged. The Dayak communities of Kalimantan, which is the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo, have been making excellent beadwork for centuries.

The babycarrier is a reedwork basket to carry a young baby, although some mothers carry two or three year olds in them. Young infants tend to be carried in the front to make breast feeding easy in the early months and older ones on the back.

Curling representations of human figures are a common theme. Others contain geometric motifs. Patterned beadwork is also used in necklaces, clothing, caps, hats, vests, tunics, baby carriers and ritual objects.

The outer part of the baby carrier of the Dayak people was adorned with a symmetrical beadwork panel depicting mirror images. The beauty was thought to attract good spirits and bring good luck to the child.

The design indicated the family’s social position.  The highest ranks could use full-figure human figures, dragons and tigers (although tigers do not exist in Borneo). Lesser ranks could only use animal motifs and geometric shapes.

Aristocrats might decorate the baby carrier with a leopard’s tooth. Large beads, bells and animal teeth might decorate the upper rim. The tinkling sound would soothe the baby.

After the baby no longer needed the basket, it was stored away carefully for the next one. The beadwork and ornaments would be detached and kept safe.

Early-mid 20th century.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Kalimantan Baby Carrier Beadwork 1 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Beads
Style: Kalimantan, Indonesia
Size: Length 33.5 cm, Width 26 cm
Order Number: E4B

This original piece is from a babycarrier. 

The Dayak communities of Kalimantan, which is the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo, have been making excellent beadwork for centuries.

The babycarrier is a reedwork basket to carry a young baby, although some mothers carry two or three year olds in them. Young infants tend to be carried in the front to make breast feeding easy in the early months and older ones on the back.

Curling representations of human figures are a common theme. Others contain geometric motifs. Patterned beadwork is also used in necklaces, clothing, caps, hats, vests, tunics, baby carriers and ritual objects.

The outer part of the baby carrier of the Dayak people was adorned with a symmetrical beadwork panel depicting mirror images. The beauty was thought to attract good spirits and bring good luck to the child.

The design indicated the family’s social position.  The highest ranks could use full-figure human figures, dragons and tigers (although tigers do not exist in Borneo). Lesser ranks could only use animal motifs and geometric shapes.

Aristocrats might decorate the baby carrier with a leopard’s tooth. Large beads, bells and animal teeth might decorate the upper rim. The tinkling sound would soothe the baby.

After the baby no longer needed the basket, it was stored away carefully for the next one. The beadwork and ornaments would be detached and kept safe.

About 70-80 years old.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Kalimantan Baby Carrier Beadwork 2 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Beads
Style: Kalimantan, Indonesia
Size: Length 38.5 cm, Width 13.5 cm
Order Number: MHGAB1

This original piece is from a babycarrier. 

The Dayak communities of Kalimantan, which is the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo, have been making excellent beadwork for centuries.

The babycarrier is a reedwork basket to carry a young baby, although some mothers carry two or three year olds in them. Young infants tend to be carried in the front to make breast feeding easy in the early months and older ones on the back.

Curling representations of human figures are a common theme. Others contain geometric motifs. Patterned beadwork is also used in necklaces, clothing, caps, hats, vests, tunics, baby carriers and ritual objects.

The outer part of the baby carrier of the Dayak people was adorned with a symmetrical beadwork panel depicting mirror images. The beauty was thought to attract good spirits and bring good luck to the child.

The design indicated the family’s social position.  The highest ranks could use full-figure human figures, dragons and tigers (although tigers do not exist in Borneo). Lesser ranks could only use animal motifs and geometric shapes.

Aristocrats might decorate the baby carrier with a leopard’s tooth. Large beads, bells and animal teeth might decorate the upper rim. The tinkling sound would soothe the baby.

After the baby no longer needed the basket, it was stored away carefully for the next one. The beadwork and ornaments would be detached and kept safe.

Early 20th century.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Kalimantan Baby Carrier Beadwork 3 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Beads, bark
Style: Mualang, Iban, West Kalimantan, Indonesia
Size: Height  48 cm, Width  46 cm
Order Number: MHSAKJ1

Dayak is the name applied to a number of very different peoples  living on the island of Kalimantan, but also elsewhere. They share some common characteristics. They live in longhouses, situated mostly on navigable rivers. They were rice farmers, living simple lives, but staging large religious ceremonies, which involved large feasts.

Kalimantan sits on the equator, so little clothing is necessary. Everyday Dayak clothing consisted of a loincloth for men and a short skirt or two apron-skirts for women. Inside they wore a headband and outside a hat. Both men and women wore a jacket for semi-formal events. Children were mostly naked, but girls may have worn a modesty plaque suspended from a string.

In contrast to these plain clothes ceremonial costumes, lavishly ornamented with animal claws, feathers and teeth, and feathers, silver and beads were worn.

Surprisingly most Borneo beads were not made in Borneo. They come from India, China and elsewhere, and are found in every part of the island. They were prized and most tribes used them and still wear them. They were used in trading as money.

Beads are used to decorate everything: jackets, skirts, hats, headbands, armbands, necklaces, ear-hangings, belts, baby carriers, baskets, betel boxes, sword hilts, walking stick sheaths, mats and the ends of loin cloths.

Traditionally men designed the patterns and women threaded the beads. Bead costumes require great skill and ample supplies. Wear and tear on these costumes is immense. If part of the bead fabric is damaged or worn out it cannot be replaced or patched up like a textile. Usually they are unravelled and the beads are used for something else, such as a necklace. So the costumes are usually only worn during festivals.

Bead jackets  were traditionally woven by wives for their husbands to protect the husbands during headhunting raids or battles.  Headhunting is no longer practised, but the wives still make them. For example, for protection during World War II against the Japanese, and later as a display of status and manhood.

This man’s jacket with the two dragons’ motif is from the Mualang indigenous people, a sub-tribe of the Iban, which comprises about 50,000 people. They speak the Mualang language and live mostly in the Sekadau Regency and Sintang Regenecy of West Kalimantan. There are some tears and holes.

Early – mid 20th century.

Map of Kalimantan.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Kalimantan Bead Jacket 1 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.

Material: Beads
Style: Kalimantan, Indonesia
Size: Height 55 cm, Width 40 cm
Order Number: MHSAKJ2

Dayak is the name applied to a number of very different peoples  living on the island of Kalimantan, but also elsewhere. They share some common characteristics. They live in longhouses, situated mostly on navigable rivers. They were rice farmers, living simple lives, but staging large religious ceremonies, which involved large feasts.

Kalimantan sits on the equator, so little clothing is necessary. Everyday Dayak clothing consisted of a loincloth for men and a short skirt or two apron-skirts for women. Inside they wore a headband and outside a hat. Both men and women wore a jacket for semi-formal events. Children were mostly naked, but girls may have worn a modesty plaque suspended from a string.

In contrast to these plain clothes ceremonial costumes, lavishly ornamented with animal claws, feathers and teeth, and feathers, silver and beads were worn.

Surprisingly most Borneo beads were not made in Borneo. They come from India, China and elsewhere, and are found in every part of the island. They were prized and most tribes used them and still wear them. They were used in trading as money.

Beads are used to decorate everything: jackets, skirts, hats, headbands, armbands, necklaces, ear-hangings, belts, baby carriers, baskets, betel boxes, sword hilts, walking stick sheaths, mats and the ends of loin cloths.

Traditionally men designed the patterns and women threaded the beads. Bead costumes require great skill and ample supplies. Wear and tear on these costumes is immense. If part of the bead fabric is damaged or worn out it cannot be replaced or patched up like a textile. Usually they are unravelled and the beads are used for something else, such as a necklace. So the costumes are usually only worn during festivals.

Bead jackets  were traditionally woven by wives for their husbands to protect the husbands during headhunting raids or battles.  Headhunting is no longer practised, but the wives still make them. For example, for protection during World War II against the Japanese, and later as a display of status and manhood.

Early – mid 20th century.

Map of Kalimantan.

Please ask for the price (or make an offer).

The post Antique Kalimantan Bead Jacket 2 appeared first on Murni's in Bali.