BUSANA TRADISIONAL (NGEPAN) ETNIK IBAN BATANG RAJANG

Picture

1

Video

No record

Today's Visitor

19

Number of Visitors

19

Introduction and history

The appearance of the Batang Rajang Iban’s ngepan is unique that differentiates it with other traditional costumes. Ngepan is considered prestigious to the owner as it is invaluable, especially of the glass beads and semi precious stones collected, resulting in taking a long time to ready the costume.

This baju ujan is believed to have been worn by the Iban ethnic that reside at Katiban/Balleh and Batang Ai/Leboyan since World War II. This ngepan is worn at specific events only and during wedding.

Generally, beads are used to differentiate between the Batang Rajang ngepan and that from other districts. It is believed that this ngepan is the earliest before being influenced by silver or copper as a result of the influence of the Straits Chinese or the Maloh tribe iron welders during that time.

Functions and Roles

This baju ujan is believed to have been worn by the Iban ethnic that reside at Katiban/Balleh and Batang Ai/Leboyan since World War II. This ngepan is worn at specific events only and during wedding.

Traditional Attire/ Accessories

Male Costume:

This costume is equipped with lavung (hat) decorated with beads and goat’s fur as well as pheasant feathers placed at the back part. For the body part is a shirt called gagung made of goat or leopard hide. There is a woven sirat cloth at the waist downward. At the back part is a plain or bead embroidered cover called tikai burit.

The accessories are a necklace named leka marek, made of glass beads or animal bones and fangs. At the ankle is either resam made from plant fibre, or engkerimut made of silver or copper coils. The arm decoration is simpai made of snail shell or silver.


Female Costume:

The head decoration named dujung manik differentiates this costume with other costumes of the Iban ethnic of which it is called sugu. At the base of dujung manik there is a part called tempuga made of wood. This tempuga is poked with wooden sticks decorated with coloured cotton thread and fine beads hung at the end, buri button and igi bemban/buah puru.

There are two types of blouses named baju ujan and baju marek respectively. Its beads are symmetrically arranged so that not mixed up. Baju ujan is longer than baju marek and better worn with loose sarong. Baju marek is better matched with burai lumit and buri cloth, as the design of the buri cloth is more apparent on the baju marek.

Burai lumit consists of materials of woven glass beads in colours of red, blue, yellow white and green, as well as carnelian stone. At its end part is decorated with snail shell together with bead decoration of ‘lion/tiger bells’ design that refers to ‘strength’. The buri cloth is a black woven cloth embroidered with motifs of bamboo shoot flowers and decorated with a type of shell.

The size of the gerunong siong accessory is a bit big, sometimes used on tali ujan (bead decoration arrangement) or as a hand adornment like buah pauh.

The ankle bacelet is called tumpa bulu’k. The original version is made from a type of rubber latex from the bulu tree. The second version was obtained from merchant traders during the colonization era. The third version is rangki bracelet made from sea snail, while tumpa gading bracelet is made from elephant tusk.

Tali ujan is hung at the back part and gerunong at its end. The beads of tali ujan consists of glass, carnelian stone and hard bone. Tali ujan is made either poked to produce a motif or arranged vertically according to the desired colour. At its end are placed big sized beads and gerunong so as to produce sound according to the wearer’s movement.

The ankle bracelet, giring, is made of copper. Inside it are copper bits that produce sound while in use. This ankle bracelet (geruncong giring) has similarities with those worn by the Iban community in Kalimantan, Indonesia, like the Iban Sebaruk that named it sanggau, the Iban Mualang (sekadau), the Iban Desa (sintang), the Iban  Ketungau (sintang), the Iban Kebahan (otdanum), and call it giring/gereng bracelet.

The tangu accesory are beads that are poked line by line and worn up to chest level. A big bead, the carnelion stone and an even bigger glass bead are placed at the front so that the tangu becomes heavy and appear as more dangling.


Equipment/ Ingredients

Male Costume:

The accessories are a necklace named leka marek, made of glass beads or animal bones and fangs. At the ankle is either resam made from plant fibre, or engkerimut made of silver or copper coils. The arm decoration is simpai made of snail shell or silver.


Female Costume:

The head decoration named dujung manik differentiates this costume with other costumes of the Iban ethnic of which it is called sugu. At the base of dujung manik there is a part called tempuga made of wood. This tempuga is poked with wooden sticks decorated with coloured cotton thread and fine beads hung at the end, buri button and igi bemban/buah puru.

Burai lumit consists of materials of woven glass beads in colours of red, blue, yellow white and green, as well as carnelian stone. At its end part is decorated with snail shell together with bead decoration of ‘lion/tiger bells’ design that refers to ‘strength’. The buri cloth is a black woven cloth embroidered with motifs of bamboo shoot flowers and decorated with a type of shell.

The ankle bacelet is called tumpa bulu’k. The original version is made from a type of rubber latex from the bulu tree. The second version was obtained from merchant traders during the colonization era. The third version is rangki bracelet made from sea snail, while tumpa gading bracelet is made from elephant tusk.

The ankle bracelet, giring, is made of copper. Inside it are copper bits that produce sound while in use. This ankle bracelet (geruncong giring) has similarities with those worn by the Iban community in Kalimantan, Indonesia, like the Iban Sebaruk that named it sanggau, the Iban Mualang (sekadau), the Iban Desa (sintang), the Iban  Ketungau (sintang), the Iban Kebahan (otdanum), and call it giring/gereng bracelet.

The tangu accesory are beads that are poked line by line and worn up to chest level. A big bead, the carnelion stone and an even bigger glass bead are placed at the front so that the tangu becomes heavy and appear as more dangling.

Reference Source

Munan, Heidi. (2022). Beads Borneo by Heidi Munan - AbeBooks. Abebooks.com. https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/title/beads-borneo/author/heidi-munan/

Kaitan Manik – Bead Links (Megimbas Manik Borneo), Galeri Petronas, 2001

Crafts and The Visual Arts, Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal, 2007

Galeri Tun Jugah, Katalog Tun Jugah, Yayasan Tun Jugah.

Ngepan Asal Iban, Jimbun Tawai, Majlis Adat Istiadat Sarawak, Yayasan Kebudayaan Dayak, 2013

Location

Informant/Figure/Editor/Researcher
  • Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara, Negeri Sarawak
  • Tingkat 5, Bangunan Sultan Iskandar, Jalan Simpang Tiga, 93000 Kuching Sarawak
  • +6082-422006
  • -
Get Directions

State JKKN Contact Information

Encik Boniface Anak Babai

Cultural Officer

Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara, Sarawak
Tingkat 5 Bangunan Sultan Iskandar, Jalan Simpang Tiga, 93000, Kuching, SARAWAK

019-2399682/082-422006

or

Use the form below to contact the Informant/Figure/Editor/Researcher directly. We will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible!