So the crypto market has experienced a crash for the past few days, and we see the currencies dipping to an all-time low (or maybe not). I am not following crypto news closely, and while this latest crash is a bummer, I am not overly discouraged by the bad news. We all know the volatility of cryptocurrencies, and whoever gets involved in them will experience loss sooner or later. So I guess, cheer up and let's carry on with our lives. It might not be that simple for anyone investing heavily in crypto. Regardless, I hope the market will improve before the year ends 🙏.
I am not going to talk about crypto in this post because the actual topic of this post is entirely different from crypto! It is about family heirlooms, and this post is my entry to the latest ASEAN Hive Community Challenge.
I don't keep many family heirlooms because my mom keeps almost all of them somewhere safe back home. I shall not disclose the location because some of these heirlooms have been in my family for more than 200 years. But among them is a full Iban woman traditional costume like the one my niece wore in this photo. This costume is an ensemble featuring various parts, including the traditional woven skirt (kain kebat), silver headdress (sugu tinggi), silver bracelets (tumpak pirak), and many other embellishments. And yup, the costume costs thousands of dollars.
My niece was a contestant in a traditional costume beauty pageant, and she was the second runner-up.
❤️ My Mom's Beadwork As Family Heirlooms ❤️
The indigenous people of Sarawak (the Dayak and Orang Ulu) have a long beadwork tradition that stretches for hundreds of years. Most of this beadwork is accomplished by stringing and threading colorful beads of various sizes. Beadwork is a highly prized item in the local indigenous communities.
I have no talent for making beadwork, but I am proud to say that my mom is a master in it. Besides sewing, gardening, cross-stitching, and patchwork, she loves making beadwork. She said this is not merely a hobby, but she hopes to keep them as our family heirlooms.
She handed me some of her masterpieces on our last trip back home to Sarawak.
Let's take a look at all of them.
❤️ Marik Empang (Elaborate Bead Necklaces) ❤️
This is a contemporary version of Iban's traditional bead necklace. The traditional bead necklace is a part of Iban female costume and has intricate patterns and complex designs. (You can refer to the above photo of my niece). The modern version is often worn with a dress or a blouse for formal or social events.
My mom gave me two such necklaces. There are gifts for me and my daughter. Here is the first one.
And the second one.
And the closed up details of both necklaces.
❤️ Baju Buri ("Buri" Vests) ❤️
Buri means "small shells". My mom gifted these buri vests to my husband and son. She sewn the vests and handsewn the small shells and also the strings of beads at the bottom of the vests. It took her months to complete these vests due to the tiny shells /beads and her failing eyesight.
These vests are usually worn during traditional events or formal functions.
Here is the first vest that was gifted to my husband. The front part...
...and the back part. Notice that hornbill design? Why hornbill?
The rhinoceros hornbills (buceros rhinoceros), or locally known as "kenyalang", has a significant cultural ties to our Dayak/Iban community.
The design could also represent the Iban's God of War, the mighty Sengalang Burong.
And this is my son's vest. The front part...
...and the back part with a bird pattern but different design.
And the close-up details of the vests. Each tiny parts were handsewn by my mom. You might not see it, but small bells are attached to the strings of beads. So as you can imagine, the bells will make lovely chiming sounds whenever the wearer moves!
❤️ Simple Bead Bracelets ❤️
My mom also passed me some simple bracelets she made using leftover beads. I often wear one of these bracelets to church or outings with the family.
I shared this photo of my kids in a past post, but I am resharing it again to show you how the necklace is usually worn. And my son was wearing a traditional vest but this vest was made using "pua kumbu" or a traditional patterned multicolored ceremonial cotton cloth. The Ibans are very proud of their "pua kumbu" and I shall write about it in one of my future posts.
What do you think of our family heirlooms? Do your family keeps similar heirlooms?
That's it for now. If you read this far, thank you. I appreciate it so much! Kindly give me a follow if you like my content. I mostly write about making art, life musing, and our mundane yet charming family life here in Klang Valley, Malaysia.
Note: All images used belong to me unless stated otherwise.
Thank you for visiting and reading my post. I hope you like it!
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