Heirlooms - Part 1

There has been quite an uproar in the family over the past year over family heirlooms and superstitions surrounding it. These seemingly harmless items are said to have negative auras emanating from them.

Here's the first item that was at the centre of contention - a small ceramic jar (known as anak tabu') which dates back a long long way in history.

I have yet to research the origins of this jar but many documentaries on Lun Bawang heirlooms trace these to China... and it is still perplexing as to how these made their way up the tributaries into the highlands of Borneo.

The anak tabu' was one of the items my father managed to salvage when my grandmother began selling off family heirlooms.

My mother mentioned that in the olden days jars were the properties of the aristocrats only. Expensive larger jars (known as rubih) were used to 'buy' slaves, given as dowry during weddings and even used as coffins for the aristocrats. Cheaper jars were for common use like storing rice, rice wine (burak), preserved wildboar meat (sinamu') and water.

Shrouded in superstitions, the olden community believed in small precious items bringing good luck. Again, anak tabu's are rare and the properties of only aristocrats. These were used to store items that have turned to stones/hardwood (betia'), charms and any small items bringing good luck.

At the heart of the contention over family heirlooms is a samurai. But that's story for another day...