Once, only accessible by longboat, this is one of the furthest longhouse in the Layar area, and this is our second longhouse project under our craft development programme. The women weavers of this longhouse community are continually commissioned with two ongoing projects:
1) Upcycled Fan covers: Once tarnished and tatty unusable fan covers, the transformation into these vibrant trays is nothing short of brilliant. Challenging traditional weaving skills, colourful polymer box straps are woven through the metal mesh of old metal fan covers to produce exquisite ornamental trays. This is a painstaking process that takes up to 100 hours from splitting and processing the material to weaving this finished piece.Also used are natural fibres found in the lush rainforests of Sarawak, hand-woven through the metal mesh. This process can take up to 2 months from harvesting and processing the material to weaving this finished piece.
2) Traditional Seluk baskets: reviving and continuing the art of double weave baskets. Patterns are intricate and seamless around each basket. So fine are their workmanship that unless we highlight that these baskets have a double wall, not many notice the inner layer!
