Dayak motifs reveal sacred philosophies

Dayak motifs reveal sacred philosophies

Bambang Bider, Contributor, Pontianak

Hanging each on the right and left walls of the entrance to the
check-in room of the domestic departure terminal at Soekarno-
Hatta international airport is an engraving peculiar to the Dayak
Kayaan-Kenyah.

Every passenger, despite their hurried movement, will surely
catch sight of these predominantly yellow, cement-made
engravings.

These large, beautifully designed engravings reflect the
philosophy of harmony of the Dayak people in the universe and
heed the real engraving philosophy of the Dayak. These artistic
works are beautiful to the eyes of laymen, let alone to those
with a good grasp of their profoundest philosophy.

As Bernard Sellato has written in his famous book titled
Hornbill and Dragon, the Dayak people possess high-valued wealth
of engravings. A design can be engraved on practically any object
in an appropriately esthetic and philosophical manner.

In the days of yore, engraving was not the main job of the
Dayak. They would be engaged in engraving work when they were
free after harvest time and were preparing themselves for their
traditional rites such as gawai (Dayak Iban), dange (Dayak
Kayaan-Kenyah), nyareakng (Dayak Bakati') and naik dango (Dayak
Kanayatn).

Those engaged in engraving are mostly men because the material
to engrave is usually hard such as wood, leather iron or
ceramics. Dayak woman usually apply their knowledge of engraving
in weaving, for example weaving cloths and dresses, embroidery,
putting beads together and body tattooing in a number of Dayak
sub-ethnic groups.

An engraving piece has its own significance. Among the Dayak
Iban, just like among the Dayak Kayaan-Kenyah, some engraving
pieces symbolize a religious system while for the Dayak Bakati'
or Kanayatn, their engraving skills are reflected in totems or
their sculptures of human figures known as Pantak.

Dayak engravings reflect the esthetic diversity of each Dayak
sub-ethnic group. Their engravings range from the simplest motifs
to the most complicated of forms. All these engravings, however,
share a common religious value for the Dayak people.

In general, Dayak engravings can be classified into two major
groups: works with motifs of sacred significance closely related
to a religious system and those with profane motifs usually used
as household utensils, for example the motif of the eyes of a
pigeon, the tip of bamboo shoots, breaking waves and so forth. Of
course, some sacred motifs can also be found on some household
utensils.

A noted artist from West Kalimantan, Yohanes Eugene
Palaoensoeka, who is from Dayak Taman sub-ethnic group, said that
in the past the Dayak people rarely produced engravings of
extraordinary motifs.

The variety of the engraving motifs is largely dependent on
the experience of the engraver. If his knowledge is limited only
to the spiritual imagination of his community, his engravings
will also reflect this knowledge.

Dayak engravers, like Paulus Bunde, for example, always
explore the images and spiritualism of their past in their works.
Bunde said that foreign tourists liked these exotic elements in
their engravings. This exploration, he added, also means
preservation of the images and spiritualism of the Dayak in
general.

The Iban people in Serawak, Malaysia, have their own unique
practice of adding a new tattoo when they acquire a new
experience. If someone flies in an airplane for the first time,
for example, he will have a tattoo of an airplane made on his
body.

In Mendalam village in the rural area of Kapuas Hulu regency,
a Catholic church has been built on the basis of Catholicism and
the indigenous belief of the Dayak Kayaan. This shows a
transformation in the pattern and meaning of Dayak engraving
motifs.

In keeping with the development of circumstances, engravings
of Dayak motifs have undergone a change in their functions and
significance. In the past, these engravings were made for a
particular traditional rite but now many Dayak who have just a
little engraving skill produce Dayak engravings for a living.

Unfortunately, some Dayak engravers have gone too far and are
engaged in the trading of sacred sculptures or lungun (the grave
of a Dayak that stands on poles) along with antique dealers and
thieves.

What happens today is that a particular motif is engraved
without heeding the philosophical basis of an engraving. Take,
for example, a particular motif on a T-shirt that thoughtlessly
uses a sacred name or term.

Has it ever occurred to these people who make such motifs that
they have desecrated their own indigenous faith, the faith of
their own parents and grandparents?