Plaiting strands of contrasting colours to form intricate designs is a distinct and well developed decorative technique in Borneo. Designs are sometimes painted on the surface of the basket using a pigment called 'jernung' (dragon’s blood), extracted from the fruits of rattan species. Baskets are primarily containers and are made for use in agriculture and the transport of produce. They are made in certain shapes, design and styles designated as containers for specific items. Some baskets may be assigned a higher significance and restricted in their use than others especially those used in the ‘padi’ or rice planting activities. Other baskets are multi-purpose and the same basket may have different uses from village to village.
