The pagan tribes of Borneo - Get a Free Blog Here

XII DECORATIVE ART 261
separately from that of the Kenyah-Klemantan tribes
whose tatu is much more original in design.
The men of such Kenyah tribes as the Lepu Jalan,
Lepu Tau, Lepu Apong, etc., if tatued at all, are tatued
in the Kayan manner, that is, with some form of dog design
on the forearms and thighs, and with rosettes or stars on the
shoulders and breasts. The dog design is usually known
as usang orange the prawn pattern ; the teeth of the dog
are held to represent the notched border of the prominent
rostrum characteristic of the prawns of the genus Palceman^
that occur so plentifully in the fresh -water streams of
Borneo. An extreme modification of the dog design to
form a prawn is shown in PI. 137, Fig. 9; PI. 136, Fig. 4,
is a dog design, and is so termed. PL 136, Fig. 10, is
known as toyu, a crab ; A is the mouth, ba ; B
katip ; C the back, likut ; D
the claw,
is termed Izpan katip^
the tail, zkong. PI.
jaws of the centipede.
136, Fig. 9,
All these
are tatued on the flexor
the outside of the thigh.^
surface of the forearm
An example of a star
or on
design
termed
Fig. 7.
usong dian^ durian pattern, is shown in PI. 141,
The women of these tribes tatu in the same way,
and employ the same designs as the Kayans, except that
they never tatu on the thighs. Amongst the Baram
Kenyahs there appears to be very little ceremonial connected
with the process of tatuing.
iii. Kenyah-Klemantan'^ Tatu.
Amongst this rather heterogeneous assemblage of tribes
considerable diversity of tatu design is found. The men
are seldom tatued, but when they are it is in the Kayan
manner. The Peng or Pnihing of the Koti basin have an
elaborate system of male tatu, but it seems to be dying out
the only examples that we have met are shown on PI. 141,
Figs. 2 and 3. These represent the arms of Peng men;
unfortunately we have no information as to the significance
of the designs. The only other Peng design that we are
acquainted with is a large disc tatued on the calf of the leg.
Dr. Nieuwenhuis states that Peng women are tatued with
isolated dog designs on the arms and legs like the men of
Kayan tribes [9, p. 461].
^ For other examples of modified asii designs employed by Kenyah tribes,
see E, B. Haddon (4, pp. 117, 118),
'^ By this name we denote those Kenyah tribes which stand nearest to the
Klemantans and furthest from the Kayans in respect of customs. Cf.
Chap. XXI.
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