CONTENTS 2 Editorial Sarawak Craft Council 3 ... - CraftHub

Kraftangan also sells a number of different bemban baskets, some made into handbags and others into
storage containers. Kraftangan s creative designers have recently come up with oval and round bemban
baskets which incorporate cotton for the lining and leather decoration for the lid.
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Lidded baskets made from
bamboo, traditionally made by the
Bidayuh people, can also be
found at the Sarawak Craft Council. Only the outer skin of the
bamboo cane is used, cut into thin strips and dyed to do full
justice to the satiny sheen of the material. Bamboo is a more
rigid material than bemban or pandan and therefore keeps its
shape better, but — traveller beware — s it harder to pack in a
suitcase!
Pandan or screw pine is associated mainly with cooking in Asia, as the leaves of some species are
aromatic, and they are used for colouring in cakes and desserts. Pandan leaves are also used to
repel cockroaches and the leaves may be powdered and kept with beans and rice to deter weevils.
The largest species, also known locally as mengkuang, is used for making mats and baskets. The
leaves, dried and trimmed, can be handled much the same way as folding paper strips. The end
result is a soft, flat weave, normally in the 1/1 technique to produce regular squares. The classic
pandan mat is off-white, but enterprising ladies dye some of the working strips in colours of blue,
pink, purple or green, to produce lively plaid patterns for baskets.
An old technique, recently revived by the efforts of Kraftangan Malaysia, is bergerang or open-work weave. Skilled fingers turn out
lovely mat-worked containers with openwork lids. The interior of the boxes is lined with fabric to give a contrasting background to the
filigree lattice of the top — truly a fine example of good modern design.
For a number of years, local designer Galeri
M has been working with Iban and Bidayuh
longhouse communities to produce rattan-
reinforced bamboo baskets. The fibres used
are renewable resources found in the areas
around the longhouses, tinted with
commercial dyes. They are strong, versatile
and are made in a variety of sizes; a nest of
three is a very attractive Sarawak souvenir!
They are on sale in the gallery above the Deli Caf (88 Main Bazaar) along the Kuching waterfront.
This small selection of local storage containers is only a sample of what is available in Sarawak. Enjoy your search for more, you can
never have too many!