History of the Looted Sunhat
Artifact Exhibit
The Sa'ung Seling
Returned Museum Accession
A masterpiece of woven utility and protective symbolism, holding the memory of Kenyah Badeng ancestors.
"Originally obtained during a punitive government expedition to Usun Apau in 1895/1896, the Kenyah Badeng sunhat—along with other precious cultural artifacts—was looted and donated to the Sarawak Museum in 1903."
The Second Rajah Charles Brooke took the sunhat to Gloucestershire in 1905. It was later acquired by the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1923, where it rested until it was rediscovered in 2017. Following rigorous research and international collaboration, this emblem of our cultural identity finally made its historic return.
1895
Taken from Usun Apau during the government punitive expedition.
Oxford
Acquired by the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1923, cataloged for 100+ years.
Explore the Repatriation Chronicles
Discover the detailed timeline, academics, and collaborative return archives.
The Return of Sa'ung Seling
Watch the touching documentary of the symbolic return of the Badeng Sunhat, tracing the steps from Oxford to the homeland of the Kenyah Badeng community in Sarawak.
"The repatriated sunhat resides as living evidence of our history, reminding our future generations of the incredible craft, identity, and perseverance of our ancestors."
- KEBANA Cultural Archives