The word Dayak stands for “dweller of the hinterland”. It generally refers to the indigenous (non-Malay, non-Chinese) peoples of Indonesian Borneo who live along the banks of the Barito, Kahayan, Katingan, Kapuas and Mentaya rivers as well as in the surrounding areas.
Culturally on the Southern Borneo, the Dayak belief is a Kaharingan, or animist, people divided into several groups who have oral literature only. Their daily life and the accomplishment of their tasks, which unfold essentially within isolated communities, favor the development of aspects that are peculiar to the various regions and villages. At its best, traditional Dayak art equals the finest of Melanesia & Africa, generally considered the source of the world’s best traditional art. Powerful, expressive Dayak woodcarvings and other art forms-cloth, beadwork , - have universal appeal.
Unfortunately, fine quality Dayak art is, for all practical purpose, a thing of the past. We have to travel to the most remote areas to find old carvings. The sad fact is that the best place to see authentic Borneo art is in the museums of Europe which its unfortunately keeping in the basement store.
One can still come across some examples of Dayak art in the inland villages, and seeing these pieces in their proper setting is an experience no museum environment can hope to duplicate.
MOTIF & STYLES
Hinduism influences reached Borneo about 2000 years ago from Java. The most important, still visible contribution of Hindu art are the dragon and tiger motives ( there are no tigers on Borneo, and also no dragons ). The dragon, symbolizing the lower world, remains an essential art form, even the Islamized Malay cultures of Borneo.
Because of the many movements of Dayak people, and their big cultural flexibility, it's hard to say whether certain motives belong to a population or not. Expert, analyzing BORNEO art, trace the source of Dayak motifs to the Asian mainland, particularly China & Vietnam. Art styles from the Dongson civilization -at its height, 300 BC to 100 BC- spread through much of the archipelago.
The Dongson inspired motifs in Borneo include the spiral and the repetition of various curved lines. Instead of human or animals standing alone, these figures appeared in a tangle of varied and repeating geometric forms. In the Apokayan, Kenyah designs are decorated with the group's distinctive baroque style of carving. Most of the places where traditional art can still be found off the beaten path, and require time and effort to reach. The late Chou period in China- 400 BC to 200 BC- left more noticeable marks on Dayak art, though few traces of Chou influence exist elsewhere in the archipelago. Chou art styles are said to be visible in the Dayak's fantastical animals, and in wild compositions that blend variety of asymmetrical designs into harmonious whole.
Late Chou influences can most clearly be seen on Borneo's masks & shields, which, according to one art historian, display decorative work that is of a form unique in Indonesia.In the artistic expressions of the Bahau, Kenyah and Kayan is often a asoq to be seen, a stylized 'dog-dragon'. This animal, which is said to have protecting powers, shows relations with a very ancient mythological. The animal-like behavior is still are honored and loved. Among many Dayak populations a combination of fantastic-animal habits are common in ancestral rituals.
This is especially true for what the Kenyah and Kayan concerned, which show strong resemblance in a cultural way. Since the spirits and other supernatural creatures in the pantheon of many Dayak populations are the same on the whole, art forms were easily taken from or influenced by a population to another.
In the art of the Dayak, frightening animals were used to scare bad spirits and enemies. The shields of the Kenyah, Kayan and Bahau were often decorated with hypnotizing eyes and mouth full with dangerous teeth. These images can also be found on the masks and graves which are made by the handicraftsmen of these populations. In Dayak art, frightening animals generally function to scare away both evil spirits and human enemies. The designs are often decorated with large, hypnotic eyes and moths studded with fangs, these designs appear on masks, shields, graves, crafted by the craftsmen. Many motifs, especially the human figure, were reserved for aristocrats, from Dayak Kenyah, Kayan and Bahau.
DAYAK RELIGION & ART
Although there are notable differences in the various Dayak group’s religious beliefs, the comment environment of jungle and rivers, along with rice-based agriculture, seems to have led to similar Dayak “faiths”. Spirits crowd the Dayak supernatural world. These powerful beings –some beneficial, some harmful- are manipulated through rituals, offerings and various artistic expressions.
Most of Dayak art was, and to a large extent remains, intimately associated with religion and social hierarchy. Funerary structures are the most obvious extant examples. These include raised coffins and carved poles to which the animal formerly , slaves are tied before being sacrificed in the ritual.People of wealth and status, the aristocrats, received the most elaborate funerals, and special motifs were reserved for their coffins.
The aristocrats were more powerful than other men on earth, and similarly their spirits were more powerful in the afterworld. But among certain groups, all of the deceased required a , an additional ritual treatment of the remains to send the soul on its way . Elaborate funerary structures dot villages along the middle and upper parts of same rivers in Kalteng and the Melawi basin to the north.
Agricultural implements were adorned with carvings, either to ward off evil or to attract the supernatural protection such as: textiles, baskets, mats, blowguns, hats, stools, wooden dishes and various containers. At key points in the cycle of rice growing – planting & harvest- a dance using grotesque Hudoq mask 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 dancers attract their prototype who then keeps the evil spirit from destroying the rice.Tiwah (“secondary burial”)
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