1583 Old Iban Pua Pilih Dayak Textile

This stunning woven cloth Pua Pilih with the motif of a girl is from the Dayak people of Borneo.

The artwork created by the unique weaving process is one in which the motifs on both, the front and the back of the cloth are identical with the exception that the foreground thread becomes the background and vice versa.

In Dayak tradition, weavings are mediums to connect to the spirit world and in this weaving the strong motifs suggest high potency.

The highlight of this particular piece is the motif of the girl depicted in all her traditional finery.

The second photo shows real life cultural portraits taken during a Sarawak festival in 2012.

A very delightful find.

Estimated to be from the 1930s-1950s

Has minor damage and several repair patches on the back and could do with a cleaning.

Will look great as a wallmounted artwork

55 x 127cm

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This item has spent a lifetime being used for the purpose of its creation with the original artist/user. Signs of this life lived heartily may be present on the piece in the form of stains, thread loss, loose threads, holes, tears, color run and other imperfections. Therefore the condition must be assumed to be “not” perfect. More photos of such imperfections will be provided on request.

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