Iban textiles are distinguished by their intricate designs. Pua Sungkit are the rarest of all the Iban textiles and therefore highly prized. Technically complex, they were woven by highly skilled women. They were used to mark a sacred space during important rituals, being displayed either vertically or on the ground. Their purpose was to invite the blessings of the ancestors for the protection of the community. Pua means “blanket” and sungkit means “to raise it up”, and so it literally means a cloth with a raised design. Sungkit textiles like this one with a motif referred to as “dancing ladies” are extremely rare. They are thought to derive from Indian block-printed cloths which were traded into the region.
