Kayanic Art | Aesthetic Traditions of Borneo: Part II
Art of the Ancestors is committed to the presentation of Island Southeast Asian art for our readership's perusal and further appreciation. This month, we are delighted to offer a second assemblage of early 'Kayanic' masterworks in global museum collections.
In our first installment of Kayanic Art: Aesthetic Traditions of Borneo, Art of the Ancestors presented select masterworks created by indigenous groups living in the interior of the island of Borneo that are sometimes collectively referred to as the orang ulu or 'peoples of the upriver.’ These groups traditionally inhabited the middle Mahakam basin and its tributaries, East Kalimantan and central-east portions of Sarawak.
Here, the word 'Kayanic' is loosely employed to refer to the related and occasionally overlapping artistic traditions of the Kayan, Long Glat, Busang, Kenyah, Bahau, Modang, and other related sub-groups. While separate, the great works of the Kajang, Melanau and related peoples are also included in our ongoing presentations as, particularly the Kajang groups, their artworks share certain aesthetic sensibilities and affinities with the above mentioned Kayanic groups.
Our presentations of Kayanic, and indeed Dayak material culture, are based on drawing from and exposing the finest time tested artworks preserved in venerable museum collections. These items were nearly all fashioned from non-durable materials dating to the 18th to the early 20th century and are less than 250 years old.
In addition, these works are supported in the academic literature, have traceable histories, and verifiable provenances. Art of the Ancestors hopes that such a compendium will eventually serve as the basis for a serious-minded catalogue raisonné as well as serving as the primary source for exploring exquisite and art worthy pieces from Borneo.
The material illustrated in this feature is drawn from many reputable institutions:
The sinuous lines and intertwining mythical animals associated with various architectural embellishments, utilitarian objects, including small intimate items, are the hallmarks of Kayanic arts' curvilinear traditions and deep appeal to modern audiences.
Here, three marvelous ceremonial bowls are illustrated along with a delicately rendered bone tool handle, a woman's lap or work board, a fanciful carving from the Museum Nasional Jakarta, a bamboo container with Kayanic-styled aso or mythical 'dragon-dogs', and the impressive carved doorway of a great chief.
Such embellishments served multiple purposes. It identified the owner's aristocratic lineage ranging from family members to the great hipuy or paramount chiefs, as well as battle captains, ritual specialists, and the best craftspersons, both male and female.
Case in point, among the Kayan tattooing motifs, separated the aristocracy from commoners.
Illustrated here are the arm and leg designs exactingly carved with the patterns of its illustrious wearer.
That something was finely made not only reaffirmed its owner's position within a community but also conveyed upon such persons and their dependents layers of protection from psychic malevolency or physical harm.
Whether facing the spirit world in a ceremonial context or concentrating on a specific task, such designs were said to serve as extra 'eyes' capable of protecting a person's most vulnerable areas. Nowhere is this more visible than with the accoutrements of war.
Of the two shields illustrated here, one is quite simple and is composed of four riveting target-like circles. It once belonged to the early collector/dealer, William Webster (1896), and is now housed at Yale University.
The other shield from the Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen in the Netherlands is a fine old one that projects a menacingly compact and aggressive spirit protector.
A 19th century war jacket from the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore is also indicative of the admirable indigenous use of a wide variety of materials that, in this particular jacket employs hides, cloth, shell, and beadwork — a subject that will be explored further in future installments.
Just as the great longhouses were secured at each cardinal point by immense pillars, Kayanic Art | Aesthetic Traditions of Borneo: Part II is anchored by four imposing and unique figures.
This grouping includes two iconic pieces from the Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen system and two 'ancient' fragmentary ones from the Dallas Museum of Art (see below), the latter described as being created before these styles either disappeared or crystalized into more modern and readily identifiable Wehea Modang and Bahau carving traditions.
The latter are also extremely rare pieces that were found in exposed riverbeds or along muddy riverbanks in Kalimantan. These fragmentary figures are part of a very small corpus of genuine material that since their discovery has been responsible for inspiring a contemporary industry that produces ersatz items that approximate their salient characteristics.
In conclusion, the most spectacular of all surviving wooden Dayak edifices are the monumental mortuary poles for high aristocrats of the Punan (Punan Ba) of Sarawak, the tallest of which rises more than fifty feet in height. The details from two magnificent poles (kelirang and salong) of which less than thirty have survived are reproduced below.
The Sarawak State Museum was originally founded in 1888, and these two poles stood for years on the grounds of the old museum.
Today, they have have been transferred to the new museum and Campus Project in Kuching for preservation as the oldest poles are said to be about two hundred years old. We would encourage our readers, who have not already done so to visit one of Asia's most charming towns. The new museum in Kuching, a soaring edifice, reflects and represents every group in Sarawak's multi-ethnic society. For those interested in the artistic and cultural heritage of the Iban people, a future visit to the inspiring Tun Jugah Foundation is also de rigeur.
Thank you for exploring our website and please stay tuned for the forthcoming expansion of our dedicated Borneo gallery.
— Steven G. Alpert, founder of Art of the Ancestors
Special appreciation is due to my friends and colleagues, Dr. Antonio Guerreiro, Dr. Bernard Sellato, and Dr. Michael Heppell, for providing invaluable cultural insights as well as academic rigor in the presentation of local names for a number of items and motifs.
All images and artworks presented in this feature are the property of the respective institutions credited.
Explore Art of the Ancestors Borneo Gallery
Further Readings on Borneo
Eyes of the Ancestors: The Arts of Island Southeast Asia at the Dallas Museum of Art
Edited by Reimar Schefold in collaboration with Steven G. Alpert
International du Livre d'Art Tribal
"Simply the best book ever published on this subject." — Sir David Attenborough
"Eyes of the Ancestors is the most comprehensive and compelling book on the subject since J.P. Barbier's Art of the Archaic Indonesians (1981) but this book offers so much more information in an impeccable package—making it an 'instant classic' and a 'must have' for anyone in traditional arts." — Alex Arthur, Tribal Art Magazine
Essential Texts
Avé, Jan B. (1973). Kalimantan, Mythe en Kunst. Indonesisch Ethnografisch Museum Delft.
Barbier, Jean Paul (1984). Indonesian Primitive Art: Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines from the Collection of the Barbier-Mueller Museum, Geneva. Dallas Museum of Art.
Heppell, Michael (2005). Iban Art: Sexual Selection and Severed Heads. KIT Publishers.
Sellato, Bernard et al (1989). Hornbill and Dragon: Kalimantan, Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei. Elf Aquitaine.
Stöhr, Waldemar; Marschall, Wolfgang (1982). Art of the Archaic Indonesians. Dallas Museum of Fine Arts.
Zonneveld, Albert G. van (2018). Traditional Weapons of Borneo. The Attire of the Head Hunters. Volume 1: Shields and War Clothes. Sunfield Publishing.
Articles on Borneo from the Art of the Ancestors Archive
