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TRIBAL TREASURES ON SHOW
StarTwo, September 17, 2006
IT has taken 15 years of scouring the remote areas of China as well as many visits to Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia and Sabah and Sarawak to collect the items for this unique exhibition.
It was something that started out as an interest and grew into a passion. Today, Leonard Yiu’s love for tribal costumes and jewellery can be seen at the Art House Gallery in Kuala Lumpur.
“I wouldn’t say I am an expert,” he demurs modestly. “I’m far from it. It’s just something I picked up and learnt as I started collecting items.”
For him, old ethnic costumes and jewellery are precious because they are hard to come by today. In addition, the designs are incredibly intricate and the workmanship surpasses anything that can be found today – and, being custom and handmade, they’re all unique designs.
“Nowadays the textiles and costumes are not as intricate because people have lost the patience and skills needed. Everything now is machine made. In the old days every girl was taught to sew from a young age and some attained very high status in their society solely because of their artistry.
“They were very accomplished artists in their community, even revered.”
He has personally seen some of the old costumes and textiles in remote parts of China. According to him, most tribal people have a lot of pride in their heritage and although they don’t mind showing him their collections, it is something they will not part with, even though they are poor.
“Unlike the Sarawak indigenous people, the tribes in China don’t carve wood, so all their artistry is focused on clothing and textiles. It is through their costumes that you can admire their culture and their artistry,” says Yiu.
This is the first time he is holding such an exhibition, which he believes is the first of its kind in Malaysia.
Entitled Ethnic Costumes, Textiles & Jewellery, the exhibition features items from China, Sabah and Sarawak, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand and Tibet.
Royal robes
The star of the show is the yellow dragon robe, which was worn by a member of the royal family during the Qing Dynasty in China (1644-1911, the last imperial dynasty).
“While it was not worn by the emperor, it must’ve been worn by a member of the emperor’s immediate family,” says Yiu. “The condition is bad now but you can still see that the whole robe is woven. In fact, the motifs on the robe were not embroidered onto the robe, they were woven in when the fabric was woven. This technique is very, very difficult to duplicate.
“The colour of the robe, imperial yellow, and the dragon motif with five claws, indicate something that could have been worn only by the emperor’s immediate family.
“I bought this in China about 15 years ago. Even then, it was not cheap. I think it was about RM15,000. Now, it could probably sell for RM100,000,” says the collector.
No matter the tempting price, this particular dragon robe is not for sale. It will remain in his personal collection, says Yiu firmly.
However, there are many other Qing Dynasty items in this exhibition that are for sale. Qipaos (cheongsams) worn by the Manchu people during that time, for instance.
Yiu explains that the Manchus were horse-riding people. Wearing the qipao made it easier for the women to mount horses. Which era the qipao originated from can be deducted from how wide or curvaceous the cut is.
“Only later on did the qipao become more curvaceous because of Western influence, and then it became a one-piece costume.
“In the old days, the colour red was worn only by the young while the elderly wore blue and black was for widows,” explains Yiu.
To complement these costumes, Yiu also has a selection of necklaces, neck rings and other jewellery.
“The silver neck rings were worn mostly by the Miao people (in China). They would wear layer upon layer of them. Sometimes, there would be almost 25kg of rings on their neck.
“These items are all handmade and the workmanship is beautiful,” points out Yiu.
According to him, the neck rings and the designs also often denoted social status. For example, the dragon symbol was reserved for the blue-blooded and the toad symbolised fertility.
Also on exhibit is jewellery from the Naga tribe in Myanmar. The former headhunter tribe lives in northern Myanmar. The men wear necklaces made of seashells and wild boar tusks.
One necklace on exhibit has four “heads” made of bronze denoting that the warrior who wore the necklace had killed four men in battle.
Local touch
A beaded vest worn by the Bidayuh people of Sarawak is also on display. This is a rare old piece and very intricate. According to Yiu, the Bidayuh costumes of today are different as the beads are very big.
There are also a few selendang (scarf) textiles, pua (Sarawak tribal tapestry) and other fabrics that were hand-woven. Some are local and some, from Indonesia.
Some of the selendang textiles on display are woven with gold threads, which Yiu says denotes that royalty wore them.
According to him, the age of the selendang can be gauged by the general wear and tear of the item. In addition, the workmanship of older pieces is better and the design usually more intricate.
“If it’s machine-made the feel is different. Being hand-woven you can see the lines on the selendang are not straight. The machine-made ones of today have very straight lines. Somehow, it loses its appeal without that human touch,” says Yiu.
Among the silver items on display are hairpins, sireh (betel nut) boxes and even modesty plates (worn by children, who didn’t usually wear any clothing) from around the region.
How much knowledge of such traditional treasures has been lost?
A lot, says Yiu. “Some of the items I bought had been passed down from grandparents or ancestors. When I asked (the people whom I bought these items from) what a particular symbol meant, they had no idea.
“Most native peoples don’t have their own written language so everything has been passed down orally. Because of this, a lot has been lost.
“For instance, the motifs on the costumes and jewellery have meaning but it was lost when the symbolism was not passed down to the current generation,” laments Yiu.
“I would like to showcase our heritage to Malaysians. Today, people are so Westernised that they’ve forgotten their own heritage and culture and there’s no sense of pride in them.
“I’m also trying to retain the Malaysian pieces within our own country. If they are all sold to foreigners they will be taken out of the country and will be lost to us,” says Yiu explaining his reason for holding this exhibition.
The exhibition continues until Sept 30. Thereafter, part of the collection goes to Texas, United States, for an indefinite period. The exhibition might go to other cities in the United States after that, depending on the reception there.
• Art House Gallery is located at Lot 2.38-2.42, 2nd Floor, Wisma Cosway, Jalan Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur (03-2148 2283), and is open from Monday to Saturday, 10am to 7pm. Its website can be found at arthousegallery.com.my.
Copyright Star Publications (M) Bhd
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