Head pressing amongst the Milanos of Sarawak
This short note by John Hewitt and A. E. Lawrence documents the practice of cranial deformation (head pressing) among the Milano people of Sarawak, describing the apparatus, procedure, and physical effects of the custom (p. 69).
Summary
The authors describe the “Ja” (or “Api”/“Tadal”), a wooden board attached to a T-shaped cloth support that is fitted over an infant’s head during the first few months of life. Pressure is applied by tightening strings through a central coin, and the operation is conducted only during the child’s sleeping hours. The result is a marked depression of the forehead, a characteristic squint, and occasionally a depressed nasal base. The authors note that the custom is considered a beauty enhancement, that no religious ceremonies accompany it beyond the attachment of soot-based charms (“Luan”) and a blue bead, and that the practice is declining due to the labour involved (pp. 69–70).
The note includes a brief discussion of possible linguistic and cultural connections between the Milanos and head-flattening peoples of north-west Celebes, and presents a small table of head measurements taken at Mukah in 1906, comparing pressed and unpressed subjects (p. 71).