Sarawak Handicraft
In recent years, amid rapid modernisation and industrialisation, the handicraft industry in Sarawak, despite its richness in culture and tradition, has been performing under par. With fewer from the younger generation interested to learn the craft and skills, the industry strives to survive under the threat of extinction.
A short stroll down the Main Bazaar located adjacent to Kuching’s Waterfront will expose one to a multitude of handicraft products targeted mainly at tourists as souvenirs, ranging from intricately woven pua kumbu to the beautifully carved shield of the Iban warriors – the terabai.
Sarawak, with its 27 different tribes, is the most prominent Malaysian state when it comes to handicraft, as the numerous tribes derive from their different backgrounds and traditions a plethora of patterns, motifs and designs to create unique and beautiful products, rich in culture.
A handicraft product is defined by the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation as any product that has artistic or traditional cultural attractions and is the result of a process that depends solely or partly to the skill of hand.
The retail aspect of these products largely involves tourists who intend to buy a memento or souvenir to commemorate their trip to the land of hornbills while a miniscule portion of the market makes up of local tourists with an appreciation for arts and crafts.
The labour-intensive industry has been, in recent years, facing a growing threat as fewer and fewer among the younger generations are willing or able to continue the legacy of their people.
Facing a world that values all things new and high technology and a society that holds all things imported in high regard, the remaining artists who are still in practice are struggling to find successors to pass on the skills.
With a shrinking number of artisans and master craftsmen remaining as the youths move from their country dwellings to carve a better future in the cities, many wonder what lies in store for the traditional Sarawakian handicraft sector and its future, if there is any.
Amid a turbulent time in the craft industry and multiple hurdles standing between the industry and its future progress, BizHive Weekly speaks to a few industry experts and enthusiasts to learn about the challenges they are facing and their appreciation for local arts and crafts.
A unique heritage derived from diversity
When asked of his opinion on where lies the uniqueness of Sarawakian crafts as compared with its regional competitors, Sarakraf Sdn Bhd’s (Sarakraf) Gerald Goh told BizHive Weekly, “Each of the 27 tribes in Sarawak has its own material culture and crafts.
“As such, there is a diverse range of motif and unique designs inspired by their surroundings such as the alignment of clouds and the thousand legs design which is drawn from the centipedes.”
These were the designs that would be lost if not preserved, Goh explained.
Society Atelier Sarawak founder honorary secretary, Edric Ong concurred, saying that Sarawak’s handicraft is unique in its strong cultural identity, “be it the motifs on the Orang Ulu beadwork or the Iban textiles and the use of natural materials from the rainforest such as the ‘talun’ bark cloth or the ‘bemban’ reed mats.”
Apart from the 27 different tribes and their unique cultures, the many forms that local crafts take further adds to the richness of Sarawak handicraft. The products can take the forms of weaved textiles, baskets, bead work, wood carvings, iron works, clay and pottery.
“These crafts are part of our material culture which, at one point or another, have been used for utilitarian or ceremonial purposes,” said Crafthub Sdn Bhd’s (Crafthub) Donald Tan.
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