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Pinakol

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pinakol
Vinusak (flowered plant), one of the four motifs of pinakol
TypeBeaded ornament
MaterialSeed beads
Place of originKudat District, Kudat Division, Sabah
ManufacturerRungus people[1]

Pinakol refers to the traditional beaded ornament created and occasionally worn by the Rungus female community of Kudat District, Kudat Division in northern Sabah of Malaysia during weddings and festive season of Magahau celebration.[2][3] It is a shoulder bands worn diagonally across the chest, which are long and broad with multi-strands.[4] The beadwork has become a cultural hereditary heritage among the Rungus community, especially on the female side, which was passed down to daughters through generations.[5]

Materials

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Traditionally the seed beads used in the making of pinakol are limited since it is hard to retrieve. The beads are gathered through barter trade with Chinese and Brunei merchants as well as with the local natives.[6] At the time, those with many beads are considered to be person with high status with wealth since the beads are hard to get.[6] Due to this, pinakol are considered among the important accessories in the traditional clothing of the Rungus community, especially women, since it became the identity symbol of their ethnicity.[6] The beads are also believed to carry the spirits of their ancestors and are passed down to female heirs, which are symbolised with beauty.[6][7] In the period before the arrival of colonial powers in Borneo, pinakol is already part of the Rungus clothing.[8] The process of making the accessories used to take a long time and consume a lot of energy to complete since it is need to be checked thoroughly.[9]

Pinakol folktales

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Rungus females with pinakol beadwork

Variation of folk stories are behind the creation of pinakol, with most contain elements of bravery, courage, love, and strength which are passed on as part of an oral tradition.[10] One story tells about a Rungus warrior named Tiningulun who on a journey armed with a weapon named Inompuling in the deep forest of Borneo to look for a special vinusak, a type of flower, as a gift for his lover.[10] During the walk, a very large poisonous mythical creature tinugarang (skink lizard) suddenly attacking where the warrior able to kill it and returns home safely with the item.[3][10]

Another tells about a maiden waiting for the return of her lover from a long journey, who goes hunting and comes across a monstrous tinugarang lizard.[3] Despite being injured, her lover eventually returns with the dead lizard where she attends to his injuries and places vinusak to cure the wounds.[10] Both of the story is well known among the Rungus community, including to the larger Kadazan-Dusun ethnic groups with four pinakol motifs of tiningulun, tinugarang, tinompuling and vinusak are depicted in many of the traditional native arts and crafts of Sabah such as mats and bags.[11]

The four motifs of Pinakol, from left: tiningulun, tinugarang, inompuling or tinompuling and vinusak.

References

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  1. ^ Mahfar & Jusilin 2017, p. 4.
  2. ^ Zhee Earn, Chee Cheang & Pangayan 2024, p. 106.
  3. ^ a b c Roslily, Glory (27 January 2025). "Pinakol: Sabah's Stunning Beaded Heritage". Hello Sabah. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  4. ^ Eliot 2002, p. 450.
  5. ^ Kamal, Noor Fazrina (28 October 2008). "Manik pinakol keunikan budaya Rungus" [Pinakol beads the uniqueness to Rungus culture]. Utusan Malaysia (in Malay). Archived from the original on 29 October 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d Desa & Bakhir 2025, p. 48.
  7. ^ Mahfar & Jusilin 2017, p. 11.
  8. ^ Zhee Earn, Chee Cheang & Pangayan 2024, p. 92.
  9. ^ Zhee Earn, Chee Cheang & Pangayan 2024, p. 103.
  10. ^ a b c d Geraldine, Avila (7 June 2020). "Learning folktale stories from Rungus tribe necklace". The Turos. Archived from the original on 16 June 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  11. ^ Goh, Melody L. (19 August 2023). "Visiting Sabah? Get your hands on some of these beaded beauties". The Star. Archived from the original on 16 June 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2025.

Bibliography

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  • Media related to Pinakol at Wikimedia Commons
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