Sabah and Sarawak Beads
(17
February 2001)

Click on covers above to
enlarge.
Beads play an important part in the lives of peoples
of Sabah and Sarawak. Ancient beads are valued as adornment, for the
social status and wealth. Beads were handed down as heirlooms from
generation. It often made up into necklaces, wristlets, ear rings,
girdles, caps, hat, headband, baskets seat mats, jackets and baby
carriers. Most of them are still worn nowadays by many groups like
Rungus and Murut in Sabah and Kelabit and Bidayuh in Sarawak. Beadwork
is still flourishing in Sabah and Sarawak. It is also taught in school
and old and new exciting designs are made by children of all the
peoples thus keeping alive and developing on of the many beautiful
traditional crafts.
Beads were made from seeds, shells, teeth and bones of
animal, woods, stones, agates, glass and gems. Some of the oldest
beads are made by heating, pulling and winding those materials.
Besides the valuable old beads there are in use among all the tribes
many small glass beads which are threaded to form a variety of
designs, generally in two or more colors, the combination of black
and yellow being the most commonly preferred.
Beadwork boards are cut from wood and carved or
painted by men whereas the actual beadwork is done by women. Thread is
prepared by beating and scrapping a pineapple leaf, lifting the
exposed fibers and rolling them on the thigh, but nowadays cotton
thread or nylon are often bought from traders and shops who usually
sell clumps of beads too. But pineapple thread is easier to work with
as it is rigid like nylon, especially after rubbing it with bee's wax
yet it is not as slippery as nylon on which the beads tent to slip of
position.
The beads decoration which is sewn onto the frame work
of wood, rattan and leaf structure, is carefully selected with a
certain design is appropriate to a particular social class. For
instance the child of a 'paran' who is a leader and a member of
aristocratic class may have a beadwork design of an entire human
figure or a tiger or hornbill motif and 11-12 tiger's teeth strung
around the design. The child of a 'paran lot' who is slightly lower in
rank will not have the entire human figure but just the stylized human
head bead design on his 'ba' (baby carrier).
The ancient craft of beadwork is still practiced by the
peoples of Sabah and Sarawak including more than it is possible to
describe in a presentation pack of this size. Examples illustrating
its richness and variety may be found not only in Sabah Museum and
Sarawak Museum but also in many parts of the state.
Technical Details
Date of Issue |
17 February 2001 |
Denomination |
30 sen (30 sen x 4) |
Stamp Size |
38mm x 28mm |
Miniature Sheet
Denomination |
- |
Miniature Sheet
Size |
- |
Stamp Size in
Miniature Sheet |
- |
Perforation |
14 |
Sheet Content |
20 stamps |
Paper |
SPM Watermarked,
Phosphor Coated |
Printing Process |
Lithography |
Source :
|
|
|