Pua sungkit of this type are the oldest surviving Iban textiles. Some examples can be dated to approximately the very late 18th to early/mid 19th century. When these were collected in the field in the 1970's, many were said at that time to already be five to eight generations old. During the era of headhunting, pua sungkit, and in particular this style of sungkit, were the most sacred of all Iban textiles, surpassing all ikat blankets in importance.



Lebur api, “fire tongs,” refers to the power and important function of this textile. It was woven and handled only by a particularly powerful and especially designated woman—as this is the cloth that received and neutralized the human heads of enemies. Because of the potency and heat, the headhunter’s spoils were wrapped in this textile to undergo ritual purification. Only after being honored in this way, were the heads neutralized and thus could become a blessing to a longhouse.



This textile is particularly rich in imagery with subtle contrasts of black and white on a rich maroon homespun ground. The central motif of repeated figures (bong midang) represents a "war boat on a journey". It is a superb example of its type.