E
ighty-year-old Indai weaves with remarkable dexterity, her fingers deftly aligning thread after thread to create the pua kumbu, a traditional handwoven textile that is an emblem of her Iban ancestors’ identity and cultural heritage.
Nicknamed the ‘Dream Weaver’, Bangie anak Embol (fondly known as Indai, which means ‘mother’ in the Iban language), hails from Kampung Ulu Sungai Kain, a remote village here rich in flora, culture and Iban customs. She does not simply weave fabric to be sewn into traditional garments or used as decorative tablecloths or bedspreads; each motif in her pua kumbu is said to be inspired by messages she receives from deities in her dreams.
FAMILY OF WEAVERS
This writer, along with two media colleagues, had the opportunity to meet Indai at the Rumah Gare Sungai Kain longhouse here during the Malaysian Craft Tour (Kapit, Sarawak) programme organised by the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation (Kraftangan Malaysia) in August.
The 2024 National Craft Icon (Pua Weaving), fondly known as Indai, with her collections of Pua Kumbu.
Also present during the visit were Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture deputy secretary-general (Culture) Datuk Mohd Yusri Mohd Yusoff, and Kraftangan Malaysia director-general Datuk ‘Ainu Sham Ramli.
The longhouse is home to around 500 residents, many of whom are related by blood and rely on pua weaving as their main source of income.
As Indai is not fluent in Malay, her family members stepped in as translators during the interview. The mother of five, grandmother of 18, and great-grandmother of 20 was friendly and kept smiling.
Born on May 8, 1945, Indai represents the fourth generation of pua kumbu weavers in her family. She began weaving at the age of 10, following in the footsteps of her grandmother and foster mother, both skilled weavers.
While other children her age spent their time playing, Indai was busy learning the art of weaving. By her teenage years, her talent had blossomed and she was able to produce meticulously woven pieces on par with those done by seasoned artisans.
“Every day, as early as 5 am, Indai would sit on her small red stool in front of her traditional loom and begin weaving,” shared her youngest daughter Rosnah Abdullah @ Rose anak Timbang, 56.
“She can sit there for hours, pausing only at midday before resuming her work until late afternoon. Even though her eyesight isn’t as sharp as it used to be, her passion and dedication remain as strong as ever.”
HEART AND SOUL IN EVERY WEAVE
For decades, Indai has devoted her heart and soul to the art of weaving pua kumbu, earning her recognition as the 2024 National Craft Icon (Pua Weaving), the highest honour in Malaysia’s craft industry. She also received the Craft Artisan Award at the 2024 National Art Awards.
The weaver first prepares the threads and then ties certain parts with raffia strings according to the desired pattern.
To Indai, each pua kumbu she creates, whether small or large, is not just a piece of fabric but a storytelling medium that preserves Iban history, customs and spirituality.
“I don’t just weave fabric. My inspiration comes from my dreams and the history and soul of my people. My pua kumbu is symbolic of the beliefs and stories of our Iban ancestors,” Indai said, her granddaughter Lyndy Kisla anak Gare, 41, serving as translator.
According to Indai, in Iban culture, dreams are often seen as spiritual messages, adding that she possesses a special gift for translating those messages into motifs that captivate anyone who can “read” the stories woven into them. Her textiles often feature visual narratives inspired by nature and mysticism, among them being ferns, crocodiles, human figures, and other symbols that appear in her dreams.
She also creates motifs that reflect the beauty of flora and fauna, but also embody life values deeply understood by those close to Iban culture.
ORIGINAL, UNIQUE DESIGNS
Beyond their traditional and aesthetic value, Indai’s ability to create original motifs that cannot be replicated makes her weavings truly exclusive and unique, each one bearing her personal touch.
Dayo Anak Likong, 50, a resident of Rumah Gare Sungai Kain, is in the process of tying threads.
Keeping up with the current trends, Indai skillfully blends traditional and contemporary motifs in her designs without compromising their authenticity, including the essence of her storytelling.
“This shows that even though she remains faithful to the traditional techniques and values of pua weaving, Indai also embraces innovation, including the use of silk and cotton threads to meet market demand,” pointed out Lyndy Kisla.
As for the weaving process, the weaver first prepares the threads and then ties certain parts with raffia strings according to the desired pattern to ensure the tied parts resist penetration of dye during the colouring process. This technique is called ikat, which means “to tie” in Malay.
The tied threads are then soaked, rinsed and dipped into natural dyes based on the chosen colours.
After untying the bindings, the threads are placed onto the loom. Once the fabric edges are set, the weaving process begins, eventually producing the finished pua kumbu.
Indai is also an expert in natural dyeing, a skill that is now becoming increasingly rare, especially among younger generations.
Ngiyah Anak Assat, 32, is dyeing threads using natural sources before weaving them into pua, when met at Rumah Gare, Sungai Kain."
“Indai still relies on roots and plants gathered from nearby areas, which she processes into natural dyes,” Lyndy Kisla said.
Among the colours she produces are reddish-brown, deep blue and crimson.
“Indai maintains traditional dyeing techniques to ensure that the colours remain rich, long-lasting and unfading, while also honouring the deep connection between humans and nature,” Lyndy Kisla added, noting that Indai once even processed her own threads from cotton trees she planted herself.
The Ibans are also known to perform a sacred ritual known as Ngar, an Iban tradition of blessing the threads, before weaving begins.
Although this ritual is reserved for Iban women, not all are chosen to perform it; only those who receive a calling from ancestral spirits or deities in their dreams may do so.
The Ngar ritual, which can take up to two weeks to complete, is believed to involve communication with the spirits of their ancestors.
Lyndy Kisla anak Gare, 41 (right), the granddaughter of Bangie anak Embol (fondly known as Indai), who is serving as translator.
Indai’s daughter Rosnah said at age 40, Indai became the youngest weaver in Iban history to lead the Ngar ritual, ensuring it was conducted according to tradition.
“This not only elevated her as a master weaver but also as a guardian of Iban spiritual heritage,” she said.
“I didn’t believe Indai’s stories about the deities (that appeared in her dreams) at first,” she said, “but after witnessing the Ngar ritual myself, I understood and respected it deeply. In short, the deities appear in dreams to teach Iban women the art of creating symbolic woven motifs.”
LEGACY
Among Indai’s many achievements are being named Adiguru Kraf Tenun Pua by Kraftangan Malaysia in 2000; winning the Natural Dyeing Competition organised by UNESCO in Bangkok in 1998; and showcasing her work through demonstrations and exhibitions in Singapore, Bangkok, Manila, Paris and Sweden. She was also honoured as the Sarawak Living Legend Heritage of Ikat Weaving in 2019 and received the Hasanah Golden Threads award in 2023.
Her creations are highly sought after not only by local buyers but also by international craft collectors willing to pay premium prices for her rare, one-of-a-kind weavings.
Believing that knowledge and skills must be passed down, Indai actively conducts workshops and training sessions to teach younger generations the traditional pua weaving techniques.
Her greatest pride, however, lies in seeing her children, in-laws and grandchildren continuing her legacy.
“Indai hopes that everyone, regardless of gender, will learn to master the art of pua weaving. She wants to see this tradition reach greater heights and not fade with time.
“In the past, pua fabrics were used only during special occasions such as Gawai and funerals. But today, it has become more universal and worn at formal events, and also cherished as high-value decorative art. Indai feels deeply fulfilled knowing that her work is now recognised and appreciated far beyond Malaysia’s borders,” Lyndy Kisla said.
