Sarawakian craftsman races to complete sugu tinggi orders for Gawai

The Star

6 days ago

Gawai, Sarawak's annual harvest festival, will be celebrated this Sunday.
Considered the biggest celebration in the state, it is observed with much fervour among the Dayaks – the collective name for the tribes of Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit and Murut.
And like many Ibans, Louis Weslly, 38, is also anticipating the festivities this weekend.
He is especially looking forward to catching up with his relatives and joining the celebration over traditional food like manuk pansuh, or chicken cooked in bamboo stalk, kasam ensabi, or fermented vegetables, and drinks – especially his favourite, tuak, an alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice, yeast and sugar.
With steady hands and a sharp focus, Louis crafts each sugu tinggi into a beautiful piece of tradition.
Louis has been busy leading up to this year's Gawai celebration, fulfilling orders for 30 pieces of his handcrafted sugu tinggi – the ornate silver filigree headgear worn as part of the traditional female Iban attire, known as Ngepan Iban.
'Busy gila bah (I've been crazy busy). I've been working for about 12-15 hours daily the past few weeks to complete the orders,' says Louis during a Zoom interview from his home in Batu Kawa, Kuching.
'I even roped in my nine siblings to help me out,' adds Weslly, wiping his forehead.
'My customers want the sugu tinggi for Kumang Gawai (a cultural beauty pageant held in conjunction with Gawai) and their wedding. My orders come from all over Sarawak, including Miri, Sibu and Bintulu.'
Louis and his sister Almanda, 19, putting the final touches on a sugu tinggi, ensuring every detail is just right.
Sugu tinggi is a tall and elaborate headpiece, handcrafted from metals like aluminium, copper or silver. It comprises a tiered structure with decorative elements shaped like petals and leaves, and a base band that fits snugly around the wearer's head.
A wire frame is used to connect and support the structure.
Each sugu tinggi is made up of over 200 individual parts and weighs approximately 200g. Louis says crafting one demands precision, patience and great attention to details.
'It takes about a week to complete a single sugu tinggi. You need to have a lot of patience and a keen eye for every tiny element.'
Louis masterfully turns aluminium sheets into intricate works of art.
Beginning of a journey
As a traditional costume entrepreneur, Louis also rents out ceremonial attire of the Dayak community and specialises in creating the sugu tinggi.
Ngepan Iban includes a knee-length kain kebat (woven skirt), a beaded necklace called marek empang, a decorative shoulder cloth called selampai, tumpa bentuk (silver bangles), sementing or rawai ringgit (coin belt ornament) and additional ornate silver accessories that adorn the waist, arms and ankles of the wearer.
The Ngepan Iban costume Each sub-group of the Iban community has slight variations in their costume design, colours or accessories.
Louis crafts different types of sugu tinggi to match these traditional costumes. For example, the dujung manik, worn by the Iban of Batang Rajang, features a rattan skullcap decorated with colourful threads.
The sugu tinggi pirak from Iban Saribas is known for its distinct use of silver filigree. Sugu ensuga tisir from Iban Saratok, meanwhile, is adorned with paper or plastic flowers.
He's passionate about his Iban heritage, and is determined to keep this tradition alive for as long as he can.
'If I don't continue (making) this heritage item, who will? Not many people my age are interested in this because they are not passionate about it. Some people prefer to buy sugu tinggi from online platforms because they're cheaper,' says Louis.
'But the difference is, those are mass-produced, not handmade. The materials can be flimsy and often, the headgear doesn't hold up well.
'Growing up, I watched older women – in my village in Kuching and at our family longhouse in Kanowit, Sibu – craft sugu tinggi in the days leading up to Gawai,' he says.
'What amazed me the most was how patient these elderly crafters were; sketching the designs freehand and only using simple tools like scissors, pliers and wire. Yet, despite the simplicity of their tools, each sugu tinggi looked beautiful and sparkling. I am grateful that I managed to learn some of the skills from them,' says Louis, who started making sugu tinggi as a teenager.
The Ngepan Iban beauty representative styled by Louis secured second place at the 2025 Pekit Kumang pageant in Lubok Antu. Photo: Louis Weslly
This passion was reignited when he was away from home, as a furniture salesman in Johor Baru.
'A close friend needed a sugu tinggi for a cultural event in JB,' he recalls. 'I managed to put together a simple piece with the basic knowledge that I had, plus help from YouTube tutorials.'
To his surprise, word about his craftsmanship spread quickly.
Louis (left), who styled the bridal couple, with his friend, photographer Tayren Gorden during a wedding photoshoot. Photo: Tayren Gorden Soon, Iban women living in and around Johor began reaching out to him with requests – and that marked the beginning of his journey as a sugu tinggi craftsman.
'What started out as a hobby became something much bigger. The orders kept coming in and eventually, I left my full-time job and returned to Kuching to start a home-based business making sugu tinggi.
'Never in a million years did I think I'd go from being a salesman to a sugu tinggi crafter,' he says with a laugh.
Passionate pursuit
Louis' workstation in his parents' home is nothing short of a treasure trove of Iban culture and creativity.
On his workstation, sheets of aluminium foil are scattered across the surface, alongside scissors, pliers and coils of fine metal wire that is used to shape each sugu tinggi.
Every element of a sugu tinggi is hand cut and meticulously crafted.
On a side table, a few finished headgears sit proudly on retainers, shimmering under the light.
Louis begins by sketching the design of each sugu tinggi on an aluminium sheet.
He then cuts it using a roller blade and carefully assembles the pieces. It's a task that demands precision – the aluminium is sharp, and if he isn't careful, it can easily cut his fingers.
The starting price for one of his handcrafted aluminium sugu tinggi is RM350. The most expensive ones are made from copper, and the price can go up to RM3,000.
One of the distinctive features of the Ngepan Batang Rajang is the baju manik (beaded dress) made from colourful glass beads, and dujung manik headgear. 'Sugu tinggi made from aluminium is popular because it is more affordable and its colour lasts longer. Copper, on the other hand, may look shiny and bright at first, but it tends to tarnish over time. You will need to polish it regularly, and that takes a lot of time and effort.'
His cabinets are filled with traditional costumes, complete with their trimmings, neatly arranged and ready to be rented out for Gawai.
They include couple suits from different communities including Iban Seratok, Iban Batang Air, Orang Ulu and Iban Batang Rajang.
Louis sources most of his traditional costume sets and accessories from Lubok Antu in Sarawak and Lanjak in Kalimantan, where his relatives live.
Lubok Antu, a border town about four hours' drive from Kuching, lies at the edge of Sarawak and Kalimantan. He describes it as a haven for traditional Iban attire, with items more readily available and affordable than in larger cities like Kuching, Miri or Sibu.
'These sets are easy to find because many Iban people in Kalimantan still wear traditional costumes to cultural functions. Plus, it is also more affordable there. I usually buy a mix of old and new fabrics. The older, handwoven pieces are considered antiques and cost more,' says Louis, who has paid up to RM25,000 for an antique Ngepan Iban costume.
'Never in a million years did I think I'd go from being a salesman to a sugu tinggi crafter,' says Louis. Photo: Tayren Gorden He is passionate about preserving his heritage and is willing to travel far and wide to source vintage items. Perhaps this is one of the reasons he is considered one of the most sought-after sugu tinggi makers and costume rental specialists in the state.
He has adorned brides all over Sarawak and as far as Kalimantan, in traditional outfits.
In the last five years, he has also conducted close to 30 sugu tinggi courses under the invitation of Kraftangan Malaysia (Sarawak branch) in Kuala Lumpur, across Sarawak and in Brunei.
'When I teach others, I feel a strong sense of passion to share what I know. To improve my skills, I read books, visit craft shops like the ones in Lubok Antu, to see what items they sell and try to recreate them myself. It's all part of my learning process.
'Most of my students learn to make sugu tinggi for their own use, not for sale. It gives me great satisfaction knowing that little by little, I help pass down a part of Iban heritage to more people,' says Louis, as he continues to complete his remaining headgear orders for Gawai.