Sago Palm

The Sago Palm

Sago Metroxylon, also known as sago palm or sago cycad, is a type of palm tree belonging to the genus Metroxylon. This palm tree can reach about 15 m in height and is native to lowland tropical rainforests and swampy areas in Southeast Asia, including countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and parts of Australia. The sago palm tree has many functions in these regions, both for construction, furniture and staple food.

Gaba-Gaba Panels

In Maluku, the sago tree was often used for construction material. The leaves midrib are dried during 14 days. The thinner ends of the spine are cut and neatly assembled three by three with pegs to create fine panels (gaba-gaba) used as partitions between interior and exterior spaces. These panels can also be used as ceilings to hide the roof structure. The sagu trunc, when properly emptied, can also be used as a gutter, between two roof parts.

Rumbia leaf roofs

The sagu leaves are used for roof covering, and are generally called rumbia roofs (atap). The half-dried leaves are folded in two halfs around a batten and stitched together with a young bambu skin thread (luleba), as can be seen in the Wapauwe mosque roofs and in the Kaitetu Gallery. These sago leaf panels are fastened to the roof rafters using bambu binding (luleba) fixed at the end with a small knot. The ridge of the roof (as can be seen on top of the mosque veranda) is made of two staggered rumbia panels, one covering the other. The rumbia panels are dried 2 weeks before being mounted on the roof. The mosque is covered with between 7 000 to 10 000 rumbia panels stacked on top of each other with 2 to 5 cm distance from one batten to the other (in just one day, a craftsman can produce not less than 25 rumbia panels). Today, rumbia roofs are more often replaces by zinc roofs, although they are still appreciated by some households for their insulating properties.
Illustration of Metroxylon sagu, commonly know as sago palm, from Herbarium Amboinense by Georgius Everhardus Rumphius, 1750, vol 1, t. 17

They are also used to build furniture such as multi- functional platforms or benches
(dego-dego) displayed in the Gallery. They can be used for many purpose such as
for sleeping, sitting, but also as tables for cooking, eating, for display, but also to
build rafters thanks to their floating properties.

Papeda dish made from sago with fish soup. (photo: Hélène Njoto)