60 SARAWAK ETHNOGRAPHICAL COLLECTION. 



Brooke Low collection. 



Catalogue No. 144 l. 



Figures of Sea-Dyak women wearing these ornaments are- 

 given by Ling Roth (I.e. Vol. I. pp. 2 and 4 Vol, II, frontispiece 

 and page 43). Below the rawed round the hips are frequently 

 worn numerous separate pandan leaf circles strung with brass 

 annuli but these may really be considered as components of the 

 corset. It is now the fashion to decorate the rawed with rows 

 of dollars attached by brass or silver links to the circles. The 

 rawai should only be worn by married women, but the custom 

 in now more honoured in the breach than in the observance. 



2. Sea-Dyak. — "rawai tinchin." 



a. Corset composed of ten rows of large broad penannular 

 rings of brass strung on strips of split rattan ; the rows are 

 bound together one above the other on an internal framework 

 of split rattan. The rows of rings do not form complete circles, 

 but their ends are attached each to a vertical band of plaited 

 brass wire ; to each plaited band is fastened by brass wire links 

 two vertical strips of brass, the free borders of which are turn- 

 ed back in opposite directions so that they can interlock ; this 

 primitive form of buckle is known as the pi?itu {lit, door). The 

 brass penannular rings vary in breadth from 3-5 cm. to 2*7 cm., 

 their diameter is about 1*8 cm.; simple geometrical and scroll 

 designs are incised on them. Narrow penannular brass rings 

 (4 mm. broad) outwardly notched alternate with the broad 

 rings of the bottom five rows of the corset. The front of the 

 buckle is ornamented with incised geometrical designs and a 

 phyllomorphic design (tankei marau, bunches of rattan). The 

 corset is of equal diameter throughout. 



Height 19*5 cm.; diam. 243 cm. Said to have been made 

 by Malohs of the Kapuas River. 



Brooke Low collection. 



Catalogue No. 572. (Plate VI. fig. 13, b). 



This form of corset was formerly confined to the Ulu Ai 

 and Engkari Sea-Dyaks but its distribution seems to be wider 

 nowadays. The front of a somewhat similar specimen in the 

 Leiden Museum is figured by Ling Roth (I.e. Vol. II. p. 46). 



Jour. Straits Branch 



