The pagan tribes of Borneo - Get a Free Blog Here

230 PAGAN TRIBES OF BORNEO
CHAP.
is made to stand out boldly from the ground by
darkening the latter. This is achieved in two ways :
(i) the ground is covered with parallel close -set
scratches, not running continuously throughout the
larger areas of the ground, but grouped in sets
of parallel lines some few millimetres in length, the
various sets meeting at angles of all degrees; (2)
the hard surface of the bamboo is wholly scraped
away from the ground areas to a depth of about
half a^ millimetre. In either case the black or red
paint is then smeared over the whole surface with
the finger, and when it has become dried the
surface is rubbed with a piece of cloth (Kayan), or
scraped lightly with a knife (Iban). The pigment
is thus removed from the intact parts and remains
adherent to the lines and areas from which the
hard surface layer has been removed. The design
is thus left in very low relief, and is of the natural
colour of the bamboo upon a black or dark -red
ground, or on a ground merely darkened by the
parallel scratches (Pis. 126, 127).
Lashing
Lashing with strips of rattan and with coarse
fibres from the leaf-stem of some of the palms and
ferns is applied to a great variety of purposes, and
largely takes the place of our nailing and screwing
and riveting. It is carried out extremely neatly
and commonly has a decorative effect. This
effect is in some cases enhanced by combining
blackened threads with those of the natural pale
yellow colour ; and the finer varieties of this work
deserve to be classed with the decorative arts.
The finest lashing-work is done by the Kalabits,
who cover small bamboo boxes with a layer of
close -set lashing, producing pleasing geometrical
designs by the combination of yellow and black