Promoting culture Barbie doll style
Published on: Saturday, December 15, 2018
TAMPARULI: A gallery here has decided to produce mini dolls adorned with traditional costumes as a way to spark an interest in the younger generation about heritage.Seeing how Barbie dolls are favourites among youngsters who keep them as collection, similar sized dolls are clad in traditional attires to promote ethnic identity.The Chanteek Borneo Tamparuli Gallery has more than 250 dolls in various traditional ethnics and sub-ethnic attires found in Sabah.ADVERTISEMENT Besides enhancing knowledge of locals on the different attires the dolls are also to familiarise tourists on Sabah's cultural heritage.Its Director Anne Antah said there are traditional attires of more than 40 ethnics found in the State.She said such traditional attires remain a priority among the people here, not to mention during the festive season such as Pesta Kaamatan (Harvest Festival).She expressed disappointment that some among the new generations are obsessed with modernisation that they do not care about their heritage.ADVERTISEMENT "Besides ethnic attires, the gallery also showcases traditional houses, musical instruments and other various mini replicas."I hope with the exhibitions here, the public will better understand the identity through traditional pattern attires of each sub-ethnic because it is different even though they are from the same ethnic," she said.
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There are 12 staff who sew the traditional attires for the 30cm tall dolls.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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Gallery staff Florence Benignus, 52, who also sews the dolls traditional attires said she has been working in the gallery since it started operation a year ago."It takes up to half a day to four days depending on the beads, various coloured threads and other accessories to complete the traditional clothes for a single doll," she said. - R. Gonzales