This ceremonial cloth belongs to the Iban people of Sarawak, north Borneo that lies within the political boundary of Malaysia. The iconography depicts crocodiles, which are believed to be protectors of the rice crop. Hence they were held in high reverence, and live crocodiles were considered by Ibans as their relatives. Borders on such cloth were necessary to contain its power. This ceremonial cloth was patterned using the ‘warp ikat’ technique, where the vertical threads are tied and dyed before the fabric is woven. Such cloth served as hangings during ceremonies such as funerals and initiations as it is believed that ceremonial cloth would be injected with supernatural power and become avenues for communication with supernatural beings.
