(WIP) My first time painting a sape'. I used motifs from our basketry and tattooing customs, because women were the weavers and tattoo artists 💁🏻💁🏻(men prepared the rattan/ bamboo and the tattoo blocks). I wanted to do something different but still contextual. Sape's started to have painted designs circa 1930s (I think) when paint entered the barter trading system.
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Represented so far are motifs shared by Kelabit, Penan, Kenyah, Kayan, Ngaju Dayak (and likely more tribes from Borneo): blood vessels, human beings, a snake eating fruit, a rainbow, thorny roots, ferns, three moons, tuba roots, Hornbill heads, banana flowers and bamboo shoots.
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Guided by research on baskets by Valerie Mashman (my mamma!) and my Penan friend Norita Balan ⭐️
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Baby sape' by Francis Kujen / Babai @borneosape . Pick-up by @jovismusic
