Bangie Anak Embol is a master basket and textile weaver and dyer from the Iban community of Malaysian Borneo.

The intricately woven and shaped container baskets from this community are made from both rattan vines and bamboo gathered in the rainforests. The process of making the baskets begins with the cutting of the rattan which is grown in the swampy soil near the river banks – sometimes a long day’s walk or boat-ride away.

According to legend, the arrowroot cane (rattan) must be cut when there is not a full moon or it will have bugs living inside of it. These materials are cut with traditional knives, and then dyed. The last step in the process is the plaiting and shaping, which is most often done by women.

Before the advent of plastic buckets and tin cans, the hand woven baskets were used for all daily tasks such as planting, fishing, gathering edible greens and other kitchen and household uses.

Iban textiles are handwoven at the Rumah Garle Longhouse in remote Sarawak using backstrap looms and silk and cotton yarns that are dyed naturally. The weavings are integral to Iban culture and are part of daily and ritual life, such as rice planting and shamanistic offerings.