| Ethnics
Profile: The
Kadazandusun
 Penampang
Kadazan
This
is a subgroup of the Kadazandusun kin. They were traditionally farmers
practicing rice cultivation, hunting and some riverine fishing.
Their traditional costume is trimmed with gold (siling) on black
velvet and is simple yet elegant. The men’s jacket and trousers
bear some Chinese influence.
There are 3 different styles of blouses for the woman; for young
unmarried ladies, they will usually put on a sleeveless blouse called
sinuangga with full-length sarong known as tapi. Another style is
a blouse with ¾ sleeves known as sinompukung worn by middle-aged
ladies for daily or casual use and thirdly, the kihongon -a type
worn by elderly women and priestesses during ceremonies only.
 Thirty
or more gold buttons are sewn in a double row on the sinuagga and
are known as bamban labuan. In the olden days only the Bajau living
in Labuan Island knew how to make this type of gold buttons. The
costume is always worn with blouse tucked into the sarong. Several
rows of silver coins and brass ring belts worn around the hip completes
the outfit. These belts are collectively called himpogot (usually
antique family heirlooms which a mother hands down to the daughters).
The coin belt (tinggot) is made from silver dollar coins of the
20th century. Broken gongs are melted down and turned into small
brass rings that are looped through thin strips of rattan to make
a belt known as tangkong. Sometimes husau, a kind of seashell that’s
cut into a ring, is slipped in with the brass rings. The Kadazandusuns
believe that if a sick person were to drink water into which husau
has been dipped, the person will be cured.
Usually 3 pieces of tangkong are worn with the costume. Other accessories
accompanying the costume are gohong (bangles), hamai (necklace),
simbong (earrings), sinsing (ring) and pawn (brooch).
 Costume
of Women
Sinuangga Blouse with short sleeves and U-neck worn by younger women
Main stitches: sinusuk bulus (chain stitch), tantop (flannel stitch).
Betawi buttons are looped through a string on the inside. The buttons
are tied together from top down of the blouse with a cotton thread.
The gold-plated silver Betawi buttons were a status symbol for the
Kadazandusun Penampang and if one could afford a set of thirty buttons
(sonsolobuan), one was considered a wealthy person.
| Simis |
A
type of chemise white cotton under blouse |
| Tapi |
Long
cylindrical wrap-skirt formerly of plain black cotton. Often
enlivened with siling: gold trimming running over the hips
in front of the skirt, crossed by another band of trimming
from waist down |
| Himpogot
|
Silver
dollar belt. A maximum of three are used depending on personal
wealth |
| Tangkong |
Hip
belt of approximately 84 embossed brass rings on rattan strings
(hindavog). Strung with red (hindagang), black (initom) and
red rattan strings for unmarried girls and all black for married
women. |
| Titimbok |
Hairpin
to decorate and fasten the hairbun |
| Tiningkokos |
Brass
or silver spiral bracelet |
| Gohong |
Brass
or silver bracelets |
| Hamai |
Necklace |
| Simbong |
Earrings |
| Paun |
Brooch
of gold coins |
| Siga
do bobohizan |
Worn
during rituals/ceremonies by the Bobohizan. The headdress
is approximately one and a half feet in height |
| Husob
|
A
colourful cloth worn by the Bobohizan over one shoulder and
criss crossing on the other |
Costume
of Men
| Gaung |
Long-sleeved
shirt without embroidery. Nowadays it is decorated with gold
trimming and gold buttons |
|
| Souva |
Black
trousers with wide indigo-blue waistband. Gold trimming on
the seams along the hips for modern trousers |
| Kaking
or toogot |
Black
waist sash |
| Siga
|
Headcover
of hand woven kain daster, folded or twisted in a number of
distinctive ways |
| Tapi
sinikat |
Circular
hat of sturdy string made with the coil and tie technique
to support the siga. |
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