Ceremonial textile (pua sungkit)

The zig-zag patterns on the central panel of this textile are said to represent paired dragon- or snake-like creatures. Serpents play important roles in Iban folklore, from the python king of the serpents, Nabau, to other snake-like creatures in local legends. Some scholars suggest that the form of the creature, with its sinuous body and turning head, may derive in part from images of dragons on imported Chinese jars. These jars had ritual importance in many longhouse communities in Borneo.

The raised pattern on this textile is made by a technique of wrapping the long warp threads with a supplementary thread, a technique called sungkit. Textiles made with this technique are among the rarest of Iban textiles.