Bangie Anak Embol

East Asia and the Pacific Malaysia

Year(s) attended: 2006, 2010

Basket Weaving

Bangie Anak Embol is a master basket weaver and dyer of the Iban community from Malasian Borneo, having learned the tradition from her mother, Karama Dampa, who was also known far and wide for her tightly woven rattan baskets.

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.

They were also traditionally used on ceremonial occasions such as weddings, death or head hunting rituals. Mats are also woven and used in the community for sitting and for drying rice or pepper.

Though the destruction of the rainforests threatens to eliminate the materials that men and women have used for generations, Bangie and others in her community strive to ensure the high quality of their craft, and to preserve the traditional techniques as long as possible.