1) Dayak, ca. 1927. 4) Dayak, ca. 1927. Credit: H.F.

Credit: H.F. Tillema. Thigh and calf tattoos

Tillema. Dayak of a Dayak woman. The ikor
woman's hand (lines) that run below the knee
tattoos. The black and calf show high status. The
spikes that run from snake-like motif is actually a
the knuckles to the dog derivative called tuang
mid-digits are called buvong asu (dog without tail).
song irang (shoots This design is also engraved on
of bamboo), the Dayak sword blades. The motif
lines that run horizontally behind the knuckles are called at the bottom of these verticle
ikor (lines), and the design on the wrists is ? It is possible bands, the coil that looks like an
that this is an anthropomorph of some kind and may abstract letter A, is a tuba root
represent silong lejau (tiger's faces). (tushun tuva) pattern
representing an
2) Dayak, ca. 1927. Credit: anthropomorph/spirit of some
H.F. Tillema. Dayak woman's kind. Sometimes the dog motif
thigh tattoo. This woman was is replaced with a similar design element that
of high rank as evidenced by represents the hornbill, a bird sacred to most
the number of rings around the peoples of Borneo - strong sexual symbolism here.
calves. The motif running up (NOTE: Oftentimes, women became ill as a result
the thighs is called silong lejau of being tattooed with infected needles. Many
(tiger's faces). At the terminus subsequently died.) Tattooing on the back of the
of these bands you can barely thighs usually took the better portion of several
make out a different pattern weeks.
just above the horizontal lines
on the calf. This is called nang 5) Dayak, ca. 1896.
klinge (important design) and is a degraded Credit: Dr. A.W.
anthropomorph. What is unusual is that this design is Nieuwenhuis.
usually found on the kneecaps of both men and women The central tattoo
and this tattoo was the one reserved for the last portion of design on his chest
the body tattoo. The curlicues below the horizontal ikor represents the trunk of
around the calves are called tushun tuva (the tuba root the garing tree;
motif). What is great about this photo is that the unmarked adjoining it above are
portions of her thigh are visible. These were important two great designs
because if a woman decorated these areas (known as tedak depicting the wings of a
danau - lake tattoo), her legs hornbill. What is
would become mortified. significant about this
aesthetic is that the hornbill symbolizes speed,
3) Dayak, ca. 1927, strength, and cunning while the garing motif
Credit H.F. Tillema. represents invulnerability, since this tree is believed
Foot tattoo of lower caste to never die. The tattooing that appears down the
Dayak woman with abstract arms and over the shoulders represents the leaves
dragon motif on of the areca palm. In a sense, then, this Dayak man
shin. (Women of higher caste is covered with a visual canopy of the creatures and
have concentric circles tattooed plants that live within his jungle domain.
further up the thigh) Furthermore, and when combined together, they act
as an indelible form of camouflage acting upon the
malevolent forces encountered in the jungle -
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headhunters and evil spirits.

Research by Lars Krutak

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Source:

http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/borneo_dayak_tattoos.htm#4)%20Dayak,

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