Kain Tenunan Brunei

The hand-made fabric called the Kain Tenunan Brunei is one of Brunei's traditional handicrafts. 

Cotton (or silk) yarn is used for the fabric is adorned with floral motifs and skirting that displays another set of patterns such as the stylized swash-and-backwash of an ocean wave. 

The floral motifs and skirting are embroidered with gold (or silver) threads; each floral motif features a geometric and symmetrical pattern of stylized bloom. For some design categories, the floral motifs are embroidered with a combination of gold (or silver) and colored threads. 

Kain Tenunan Brunei And Its Association With Brunei Society 

As custom-made merchandise, it takes at least one month to produce a piece of Kain Tenunan Brunei: the more intricate the design, the longer it takes to produce the fabric. 

The selling price is determined by several factors: workmanship quality, appearance, and type of yarns. 

In terms of workmanship quality, the Kain Tenunan Brunei is more expensive when it is thinner than usual because it is arduous to weave. The selling price is also influenced by appearance: the Kain Tenunan Berpakan version is more expensive because it uses more gold threads than the Kain Tenunan Biasa version. When the Kain Tenunan Brunei is woven with silk, it commands a higher selling price than the ones woven with cotton. 

Produced in the shape of a wrap-around sash, the Kain Tenunan Brunei is called Sinjang when it is worn by men and Kain Kapit when it is worn by women. In terms of length, a Sinjang measures 32 inches and Kain Kapit is 42 inches. 

In practice, a man wears the Sinjang over his two-piece Baju Melayu by wrapping it around his waist with the hemline at knee level. Baju Melayu comprises a pair of long-sleeved tops and a matching pair of trousers. 

A woman wears the Kain Kapit over her two-piece Baju Kurung, wrapping it around her body from chest to waist. Baju Kurung comprises a pair of long-sleeved tops and a matching sarong. 

Men wear the Baju Melayu with Sinjang on a regular basis, such as during official, non-official, and religious functions, and when attending social events. Some even wear it to work either voluntarily or because of the workplace dress code. 

Women wear the Kain Kapit to complete their Baju Kurung on special occasions only: on a day-to-day basis, local Brunei women wear the Baju Kurung without the Kain Tenunan Brunei. 

For a woman, one of the special occasions is her wedding. In such ceremonies, the Kain Tenunan Brunei is used as fabric for the bride and groom's wedding attire. 

Another special occasion for wearing the Kain Kapit is during a religious thanksgiving ceremony a few days after giving birth safely to a child, an event known locally as the Majlis Mandi Berlawat. During the Majlis Mandi Berlawat, a woman has the option of wearing either the Kain Kapit over her Baju Kurung or the traditional wedding attire that features the Kain Kapit. 

A woman also wears the Kain Kapit over her Baju Kurung to fulfil the dress code when attending special royal events at the palace such as the royal wedding, coronation and so on. A woman wears the Kain Kapit over her Baju Kurung as part of the palace dress code when she receives a state decoration from either the sovereign or the crown prince. 

Retailers also accept custom-made orders from women who prefer the Kain Tenunan Brunei as fabric for their sarong. 

The Kain Tenunan Brunei could also double as a wall decoration when it is framed like a photograph. The Kain Tenunan Brunei could also be used as fabric for custom-made cushion covers and drapes. 

The Brunei Arts and Handicrafts Training Centre is the main retailer of this merchandise. As an authority on this craft, it issues guidelines on the workmanship quality control for all private companies that are in the business of producing and selling the Kain Tenunan Brunei. 

(Text extracted with author's permission from the book called "Aspiration of Statehood" - Acknowledgement - Musa Mohidin, "Aspiration of Statehood").