ARTS AND CULTURE INFORMATION GATEWAY
Immerse yourself in the colorful world of art and culture! From traditional heritage to contemporary works, discover uniqueness that reflects the nation's identity and identity
PAKAIAN TRADISIONAL LELAKI DAN WANITA ETNIK KAYAN
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837
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2379
Introduction and history
The specialty of the Kayan in Sarawak lies in their tattooed long earlobes. The longer the earlobes, the more beautiful a Kayan lady is. To achieve these long earlobes, she wears weighted earrings made out of tin, known as sabau and lungin.
While the men pierce the top and bottoms of their ears, and wear bear teeth woven with beads known as udeng.
These days, the traditional Kayan dressing is worn at cultural ceremonies and events. Other than that, the men’s wear are given as wedding gifts to the bride.
Kayan ladies wear unique accessories widely made from fine beads. The beads are intricately and beautifully woven. They are carefully sewn following the Ulu tribe motifs and carvings, the ekeng. The accessories worn are:
- Basung - tops without sleeves.
- Ta’ah - a sash.
- Leku - bamboo and animal bones bracelets.
- Teba’ang Inu – huge colorful beaded necklaces.
- Iseng - silver earrings
- Tesa - belts made out of large colorful beads.
- Lavung Sae’ – hair accessories, from beads and goat fur.
- Bilang Inu - shawls from woven beads.
Reference Source
i. Jeffery Jalong (2001). Kalong: Seni Motif Tradisi Orang Ulu. Kementerian Kebudayaan dan Pelancongan Malaysia
Location
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
