Dayak - Other Art Forms

Other Art Forms
Long houses, especially those of the Kenyah, Kayan and related groups, are works of art on a large scale. These ironwood structures, sheltering a whole village under one roof, are perched on a forest of stills, two or more meters off the ground. Painted and carved decorations cover stairs, doors, outside walls and roofs of long houses: a gentle giant's doll house where baroque imagination ran wild. Tall poles topped by a carved figure were formerly widespread in many parts of Borneo. Placed at village entrances, in front of long houses or at burial site, the sculptures were designed to frighten away

evil spirits. The Kenyah, who migrated from the Apokayan area in the past two decades, have put these poles to novel use. The carved poles in front of some of the Kenyah meeting halls-which have replaced the long houses-have been fitted with a rope and pulley arrangement, which is used to hoist the Indonesian flag on important occasions. Perhaps, in the minds of the older Kenyah, the flagpoles' frightening carvings still serve to keep evil spirits at bay. At key points in the cycle of rice growing-planting and harvest-a dance using grotesque hudoq masks is performed to keep maleficent spirits from taking over the "soul" of the rice. An alternate interpretation is that the masked dancers are representations of benevolent ancestors, and the dance attracts their prototypes that then keep the evil spirits from destroying the rice. The hudoq masks are oversized compositions in wood, with huge noses and round, bulging eyes. Hudoq masks are still used by the Kenyah, Kayan, Kajah, and Bahau and Modang groups.

Agricultural implements were adorned with carvings, either to ward off evil or to attract the supernatural protection necessary for plentiful harvests. Even utilitarian items were decorated with special designs or carvings that made reference to the supernatural: textiles, baskets, mats, blowguns, hats, and stools-were particularly vulnerable to nefarious influences. Carved or beaded designs served to ward off evil, as did the claws and fangs of powerful wild animals such as bears and the clouded leopard. Ancient beads, handed down for generations, were especially powerful charms for protecting children. Warfare required all the protective powers available. The flight patterns of certain birds were the best omens, but art also contributed to successful raids. War shields were carved and painted on the outside with patterns designed to concentrate bad luck on the enemy, while occasional artwork on the inside of the shield bestowed beneficial powers onto the user. The mandau, a short sword fashioned from local ores, ranks among the greatest achievements of Dayak art and technology. Their blades, worked by specialist, were often inlaid and fretted. Not only were they beautiful, but the forged steel blades were strong. The mandau handle, usually made of Dearborn, was carved into elaborate, flowing designs. The Kayan and Bahau groups made the finest mandaus.

Dayak Art Today
High-quality art is no longer produced in Borneo. Art dealers have recently begun paying good prices for Dayak art, which has had a positive influence on the artistic tradition, but this can not immediately counteract the stifling effect brought about by years of Islam and Christianity. Only the Kaharingan religions, recently "approved", offers hope that new productions will eventually be able to communicate the feeling of the best old pieces. At the moment, the carvings used to accompany Kaharingan rituals are fairly crude copies of older works. There is also hope for renewed creativity in

some of the Roman Catholic areas, where the church has been encouraging traditional art. Ironically, some of the best contemporary Dayak art adorns Catholic churches deep in the heart of Borneo. Protestant enclaves, where traditional art is usually frowned upon, are aesthetically impoverished by comparison. Among the approximately three million Dayaks in Borneo today, the Kenyah, Kayan, Bahau and Modang groups have retained their traditional art style to the greatest degree. The retention of a class of aristocrats within these groups offers a partial explanation for this continuing tradition. While the nobles have lost most of the prerogatives of their former status, they still generally command a great deal of respect. Many remain economically well off, at least in comparison to their fellow tribesmen, and they occasionally commission art works. Some of the best places to see traditional art are in villages of transmigrant Kenyahs: Long Segar and Long Noran on the Kedang Kepala River, Data Bilang on the Mahakam, and several others. In these areas, which are not that difficult to reach, one can see exuberant Kenyah art. The few Kenyah remaining in the Apokayan also produce new art according to the traditional form, which can be seen in the recently built meeting hall at Long Nawang Baru.

At Long Ampung, the long house cum meeting halls is topped by traditional designs as well as a few contemporary figures; a hunter stalking his prey with a rifle, and a hilarious, suspiciously non-Dayak-looking man in a baseball cap, throwing up his hands in amazement or horror. Although beaded baby carriers, forged mandaus, woven baskets, and large hats topped with colorful beaded designs are all still painstakingly made in the Apokayan, for the most part utilitarian objects are either brought in from the outside or fashioned at home with little if any decoration. In spite of Christianity's considerable inroads into local culture, belief in the ancient spirits cosmos has not entirely disappeared. However, the imposed layer of religion has effectively quenched the feeling that was present in old Dayak art. The ancient motifs are sometimes still used, but the pieces tend to be lifeless. There are a few exceptions to this, particularly some of the baby carriers still made by the Kenyah and Bahau. But few and far in between are the recent creations that are anything more than just relatively uninspired copies of old objects. If recently produced art pieces seldom approach the ancient ones in quality, there is at least a growing market in items designed for tourists. Every souvenir shop throughout Kaltim, miniature shields, mandaus and blowguns come packaged as a set in a frame under glass. Even local residents buy these mini-sets for home decoration.