Iban pua kumbu weaving communities

Overview

The Met identifies its nineteenth-century pua kumbu as handspun cotton warp ikat, woven by Iban women using backstrap floor looms in Sarawak. Natural plant dyes supply reddish-brown and black tones.

Its interpretation connects layered plant motifs and a cloud-ladder design with dreams, female deities and weaving knowledge. These are attributed meanings of a selected textile, not evidence of universal contemporary beliefs.

History & identity

Selected practice witness.

Sources & representation

Attributed source account.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Pua Kumbu Cloud Ladder

   The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Language & cultural connections

Source-supported language and cultural connections have not yet been compiled for this profile.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Museum accountPua Kumbu Cloud LadderResearch access: 2026-10-17

Image credits

AI materials study; no authenticated textile shown.