Saving traditional Dayak tattoos

Saving traditional Dayak tattoos

Erma Ranik, Contributor, Pontianak, West Kalimantan

If you happen to visit Kalimantan, you may see many people with
tattoos all over their bodies. In major towns, there are salons
specializing in tattooing.

The salons lure would-be customers with tattoos of varying
styles, crafted with more "modern" equipment and techniques. Few
offer traditional methods and motifs.

Although tattooing is often associated with thuggery, the art
remains popular even now. For the Dayak ethnic group, which
consists of various minor ethnic groups, tattoos are part of
their tradition, and to make it last, people innovate.

Among some minor ethnic groups, especially the Iban, tattoos
used to be compulsory for both men and women, using traditional
motifs and styles.

Over the course of time, however, people have increasingly
come to shun the traditional styles and instead, they have
"modern" motifs painted on their bodies. Now, only a few Iban
retain the knowledge of traditional tattoo designs and techniques
practiced by their ancestors.

Among the few Iban tattoo artists still loyal to traditional
motifs is Patek, who lives in a longhouse in Nanga Sadap of
Embaloh Hilir subdistrict.

Patek, who inherited the skill from his father, Sigi, has
vowed to remain a specialist in Iban Dayak traditional tattooing.

"As a little boy, I would make tattoos on my brothers and
sisters. As a novice in the art, I would do it just for fun --
piercing their skin with a needle," he recalled.

Patek said it took a lot of time and pain to learn the art of
tattooing. Years of observing his father work was not enough to
develop his own flair.

"I became skillful after I lived in Malaysia, where I
practiced the art. First, I tried on only a few people, and the
tattoos turned out successfully," Patek said.

To be an Iban tattoo artist is not easy, as the local custom
demands a lot of requirements, including being certified through
a traditional ceremony.

In the Iban community, both men and women may equally become a
tattoo artist.

"In the past, there was an elderly tattoo mistress, but none
of her children inherited her talent," Patek said.

As an artist, Patek -- whose name means "thunder" in the Iban
dialect -- is well-versed in the various traditional motifs and
their meanings. For example, an Iban will have a certain motif
tattooed on his body after he returns from living outside the
Iban community.

"If an artist drew the wrong motif, it would be a humiliation
for both the tattoo-owner and the artist," he said.

The Iban boast many tattoo motifs that are to be painted on
people with specific backgrounds or professional skills. There
are, for example, motifs for women who have an exceptional skill
in weaving.

One of the most difficult motif to make is called Uker degok,
which is drawn on the neck. In the past, this motif was awarded
to someone who had successfully ngayau, or beheaded an enemy for
a ritual.

However, as ngayau has been officially banned, the motif has
now become a part of Dayak history. Patek recalls that the last
time Uker degok was made was in 1967, when many Iban were
involved in the campaign to quell a separatist uprising led by
Serawak Guerrillas and the North Kalimantan People's Army.

Patek, a father of three, is also knowledgeable about the
tattoo style of another Dayak minor ethnic group, the Kayaan.

"The Kayaan style is the most complicated of all traditional
styles I know. There are a great many intricate details that only
the seasoned artist can accomplish," he said.

The Iban traditional motif is drawn in a single color, black.
Patek uses lampblack as the main component, and will draw the
motif directly, without an initial sketch.

"Once I get an idea about the motif, I will fill the needle
with the soot, and there it goes -- my hand works on its own."

To make a simple traditional motif, Patek needs about two
hours.

"If you wish to have it (a traditional motif), I can do it
right now," said Patek eagerly.

Working as a traditional tattoo artist is not a financially
rewarding profession. Patek earns Rp 50,000 (almost US$5) for
each service, and orders are hard to come by. He said that he has
about three customers every month.

To make the ends meet, he also runs a business as a trader
with his wife. In his spare time, he makes wood carvings for
sale.

"It's not bad; it's enough to survive," Patek said with a
smile.