Of Thai State Buddhism in Relation to Muslims in Southern Thailand

260 Rezensionen Rohingya Muslims; of Thai state Buddhism in relation to ing observation by a Christian missionary from the ear- Muslims in southern Thailand; of Sinhala Buddhism in ly twentieth century, who reported that Iban weaving in Sri Lanka in relation to Tamils; of Boko Haram and IS Sarawak was a disappearing culture. Again, in the 1960s (Daesh) about nonbelievers, and so forth. Wherever pol- to 1970s, there were some studies that predicted that the itics unfolds at ethnic boundaries (i.e., constructed and Iban population of Sarawak would rapidly decline due represented as ethnic or religious) they tend to be essen- to the advancing of modernization, though this evident- tialized because such is the shortcut political language of ly turned out to be false as they flourish today, compris- mobilization. Jan Nederveen Pieterse ing the largest percentage of the state’s population. The possibility of waning, remaining, or prospering in such a context is greatly varied, completely irreducible when it Heppell, Michael: The Seductive Warp Thread. An comes to particular regions, ethnic groups, or eras. As a Evolutionary History of Ibanic Weaving. Phillips: Borneo mere matter of perception, the increasingly popular dia- Research Council, 2014. 189 pp. ISBN 1-929900-16-3. logue of the “waning of traditional culture” is not a solid (Borneo Research Council, Material Culture Series, 1) fact but rather a matter of the observer’s view. Price: $ 50.00 What, then, is particular about Ibanic weaving? I agree Anthropologist Michael Heppell discusses the histori- with Heppell that Ibanic textiles have been potently se- cal development of the textile culture of the Ibanic people ductive. Further, I would personally suppose that although in Borneo. Heppell focuses not only on exquisitely craft- almost unknown to the world, the earnest craftsmanship ed textiles, he also deals with textiles of lesser quality, of the Iban, together with their usage of customary ritual and this may also support his overall argument of histori- activities, are perhaps worthy of global attention in a cul- cal and ethnological interests. This viewpoint observing tural heritage context. Heppell considers Ibanic weaving the lesser-quality textiles of the people is supposedly sig- to be one of the most difficult subjects to ethnographical- nificantly challenging the collection policies of museums ly study due to its secretive nature; weavers are reluctant and galleries, where only the very best examples of the to speak about their woven design motifs (153). Heppell artworks are sought out, and that huge body of informa- fully supports symbolic representations associated with tion of the material culture is lost as a consequence. Hep- cloth: “The extraterrestrial powers which could be cap- pell clearly emphasizes that while the textiles once func- tured in a cloth were dangerous and required sufficient tioned as a sort of memory bank for the Ibanic people, spiritual powers on the part of a weaver to ensure that they embedded with meanings and messages, they were lost were contained within the cloth … Its complex iconog- over time due to those stringent museum and gallery poli- raphy made important statement about their cosmology. cies, among other reasons. On pua’ cloths, women depicted motifs the combination Weaving traditions of small groups in the world have of which produced a symbolic statement about an event rapidly declined in the 20th century, especially after the or idea a woman wanted to memorize” (138). Second World War. Heppell contrasts this “economy of The Iban believe that spirits are captured in some pow- action” principle with the Ibanic, who were able to main- erful motif designs, and often manifest in real life and eat tain their custom of weaving due to its cultural function the people concerned. Accordingly, weavers are afraid to in the sexual realm: women indicated their reproductive name the motifs for fear of awakening spirits that may fitness to men through their weaving skills. Nevertheless, curse them. In fact, there have been some reported cases this “economy of action” principle proved relevant among of such instances actually occurring among the people (cf. the Ibanic after the 1970s, when modern education was p. 155). Although the locals do explain these instances in brought widely to villages, and traditional values in weav- such a way, do they really believe in those spirits? Hep- ing, as well as the meanings and messages associated with pell further explains: “Every motif represents something those values, were lost to a great extent. from the human, the extraterrestrial, the animal and the As Heppell considers Ibanic weaving as a thing of the plant worlds and exemplifies their attachment to their be- past, he narrows his discussion on the issues of memo- liefs about universe and their forefathers” (117). ry, conservation, and dismemberment of Ibanic weaving. Although addressing such cosmological and symbolic Heppell’s main fieldsites of the Lubok Antu District and ideas as meanings in textiles, Heppell’s assertion is that other major Iban/Ibanic regions are experiencing it, but at these are lost entirely and no longer traceable. It is also the reviewer’s fieldsite, Kapit District of Sarawak, even necessary to consider that neither weaving nor similar rit- though the local Iban consider it to be disappearing, there uals assign or involve much verbal information. There- are still many women of all ages who actively engage fore, this may make fact-finding efforts difficult, and- cer in traditional weaving. These women do not partake in tainly poses a conundrum to ethnographers. weaving for commercial purposes, however, even though Symbolism, the 19th-century artistic movement, has the local government strongly encourages them to do so. been the generally accepted perspective of cultural an- Heppell’s attempt at theorizing the waning of tradi- thropology since the 1960s, and is still predominant to- tional weaving is accomplished through observing re- day. This 20th-century scholarly tradition, especially of gions, ethnic traits (including Malays and others), and Iban/Ibanic weaving, can be traced back to the study of historical backdrops. Though Heppell considers the early A. C. Haddon, the pioneer of Iban textile studies who 20th century to be a time “when weaving was still ex- led the famed Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to panding with great vitality” (91), there exists a contrast- Torres Straits in 1898. He proposed the theory that wo- Anthropos 111.2016 https://doi.org/10.5771/0257-9774-2016-1-260 Generiert durch IP '170.106.33.14', am 30.09.2021, 02:29:17. Das Erstellen und Weitergeben von Kopien dieses PDFs ist nicht zulässig. Rezensionen 261 ven designs were “coded symbols,” or “visual languages lem deflation (in which Room claims that anthropology’s for illiterate societies.” This scholarship may or may not focus on functionality systematically understates the ex- have influenced later literatures written by the 1980s local tent of alcohol-related harms in other cultures). Of all the Sarawak scholars who seem to have followed Haddon’s chapters in the book, this second is most jarring to the perspective. Despite the paradox of the secretive nature reader, because only Room’s response, rather than his of weaving and the inability to interpret it through words, original statement, is included in the chapter. Hill’s sum- the accumulation of contextual information, especially by mary of Room’s problem deflation argument does not suf- local Iban scholars, or “educated Iban,” are considered by fice; if I were going to include this book in a course sylla- Heppell to be worthy of attention (154). He emphasizes bus, I would assign Room’s catalytic article first. their value and significance as cultural heritage, which The remainder of the book consists of Hill’s earnest should not be overlooked by foreign scholars. engagement with a wide-ranging set of psychological, What is the crux of the investigation into the core neurobiological, genetic, and sociohistorical theories that world of Ibanic seductive weaving, a great enigma for have been raised as candidates in the alcohol literature for ethnographers? To break this deadlock, Heppell directs the root causes of alcohol dependence, weighing each of his interest to the historical context and examines the them against the data he collected in Sioux City in the development of weaving. His analysis traces the avail- ethnographic present of 1970. If the plague of alcohol- able information of their migrations. The oral history has related problems in many American Indian communities been calculated as possibly spanning across 16 genera- had an easily identifiable unique cause, then the commu- tions; Heppell converts into 400 years by calculation of nities would have crafted simple solutions to address and 25 years a generation. Though it is questionable wheth- eliminate the problems. But it is clear that the sources of er this is applicable to Ibanic society, Heppell concludes these issues are multiplex. Each chapter takes on a differ- that Ibanic weaving has remained in the region for at least ent theoretical aspect of the problem and offers insights 700 years, but possibly has existed for an entire millen- through discussions of the relevant literature and then the nium (141). Examining this historical aspect has been the firsthand insights of the author’s interlocutors in the com- principal interest of the book, but it is still a multi-faceted munity. For example, Hill reinterprets some of his early read. Heppell’s effort is notable and influential indeed, fieldwork through the lens of more recent neurobiological and undoubtedly contributes to constructing Ibanic weav- and gene-environment interaction research. ing culture through an ethnographic context. Where the book is most engaging is in its narratives Goro Hasegawa of individual struggles with alcohol at different points in the life cycle, shaped by historically-based cultural norms and socioeconomic oppression.

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