New book on traditional costumes of Sabah soon
KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu-based publisher Datuk C.L. Chan yesterday briefed the Sabah Museum Director, Mansur Asun on the history of collaboration between the Sabah Museum and Opus Publications over the last decades.
Chan took the opportunity to inform Mansur about his new project, ‘Reflections of a Curious Victorian Lady in North Borneo: Ada Pryer and Her Short Stories’ by Sabahan Ms June Corpuz who now lives in London, during a courtesy call on the director.
Chan said Ada Pryer was the wife of William Pryer, the founder of Sandakan.
“The manuscript is well researched and the author, who is also an outstanding artist, has provided the book with a dozen etchings based on old images of North Borneo. She also won a prize in a competition in Central London recently,” he said.
Chan added that the other very exciting project discussed was the definitive book on ‘The Costumes of Traditional People of Sabah’.
“This ambitious project aims to document all the native costumes of the State, to be illustrated in pencil sketches and watercolour paintings by well-known local artist Ms Tan Sheau Ling.”
According to Chan, “This book will also include a chapter depicting pre-war photographs of the natives in their traditional costumes which are no longer found today.”
These photographs will be sourced from collections in the Sabah Museum, State Archives, the National Archives at Kew, London, the Osa and Johnson Museum in the USA and private collectors.
“It will represent a collection of photos never put together before.”
Mansur expressed his enthusiasm and support for both these projects and looked forward to the publication of both books next year.