Pua kumbu: the woven stories of the Iban

Pua kumbu is a ceremonial cloth woven by Iban women in Sarawak, using a tie-dye technique called ikat on cotton threads.

Patterns are said to come to weavers in dreams, and motifs — crocodiles, hornbills, spirits — carry meaning and spiritual power.

Once used in rites of passage and healing ceremonies, pua kumbu is still woven today and treasured as a mark of skill and status.