HANDYCRAFT

Function
Crafts among the indigenous people of Sabah began in their efforts to shade / shelter, clothe and feed the best way they can. They produce a wide range of items which are mainly produced for functional and less decorative. Things that are produced include home appliances, agriculture and hunting as well as objects for use in rituals and religious ceremonies. Their handcrafts on environmental resources and needs in terms of culture.
Diversity
Crafts produced by peoples of various cultures in the various districts is wide variation. For example, coastal population relying on the sea have created different from those of the interior are still practicing cultivation of hill rice or rice and hunting and river fishing. Differences also exist between the material culture of the population utilizing wet rice and hill rice. The difference not only to spare utilitarian but also ritual objects, musical instruments and the characteristics of material culture.

Material
The availability of local materials also influence the types of handcrafts. In the Tambunan District, for example the use of bamboo for making household utensils, baskets, houses (including roofs), fences and wide among the Dusun / Kadazan of Tambunan. In addition, the bitter gourd in Tambunan has this as a production sompoton, a mouth organ traded among the Dusun, although it has also been in other places. Cane is a more resistant material is used extensively for hat making, baskets, wall decorations and for binding wood or bamboo. Materials to make traditional clothing are also derived from local plants, including bark, cotton or fibers derived from pineapple, banana or coconut.
Craft type
Men and women traditionally make all kinds of crafts. In the interior, women are largely responsible for hat making, mat weaving, cloth weaving, embroidery, small baskets, nyiru and small objects for everyday use. While men make larger baskets, machetes, plowing and hunting, fishing nets and other fishing equipment and weapons. Among coastal fishing communities, men in the boat, wood carving, fishing devices, and women weave and embroider cloth, weave mats and others.

Trade Goods
Things that are made in the past is only for domestic usage and the basic pattern reflects the things the original function. Revenue is sometimes sold in the guest to other commodities. In this way, goods imported merchandise, such as jars, beads, bronze objects, bronze gongs and handicrafts produced by coastal residents brought into the interior of the island of Borneo. With relations with the outside world increased, a material that is rarely found replaced by things that are cheaper imported in the production of traditional. Thus, the glass beads are rare has been replaced by cheaper plastic beads in the production of beads and decorative clothing. Cheap imports of cotton yarn is used in embroidery and weaving. Cotton and imported black velvet has been used as a substitute for traditional home-made cloth in costume.
Basket
One of the crafts are very much made in Sabah is a basket of these items are used by almost all ethnic groups. Forms and types of baskets depending on the functions and tradition of the people who make these things.
Artifacts of various kinds have now been adapted and produced for the tourist, although some of the artifacts are still made in the original.