The baskets

Making a bag is hard work as you can see in the following videos. It can take several days or just a couple of hours, depending on the size or difficulty of the pattern. It requires some great weaving skills, and a desire to keep the traditional heritage of Penan patterns alive. Originally the Penan baskets were made of rattan, but due to deforestation this natural material is now very difficult to find. Our project could not have existed if it wasn't for the strapping tape we now use. Whilst this tape may not be natural, it does come in a huge variety of vibrant colours and produces bags that are beautiful, extremely strong and very durable. A Penan basket is for life.