Augustine Anggat Ganjing: Basic Iban Design

The Ibans are one of the indigenous tribes of Borneo, one of
the Holy Lands for Tribal Tattoo devotees. If you are into Bor-
neo style tribal tattooing, I can wholeheartedly recommend a
visit to those shores: beautiful place, very nice people, and in
my experience nothing but positive reactions towards heavily
tattooed persons.

Ganjing's book has by many tattoo artists been labelled the
"Bible of Iban (Tattoo) Design". Very likely that this is true:
the subject is not widely written about in the first place.

"Basic Iban Design" does in its introduction recount the story
of how tattooing first arrived on the island of Borneo, but
only a small part of the book is specifically on Iban tattoo de-
signs. Though all the fabric, pottery, etc. patterns are defini-
tely more than just a little helpful in learning to understand
Iban Tattoo design, and one can easily see how they corre-
late to traditional Borneo tattooing; and vice versa.

Without a doubt, "Basic Iban Design" is a must-have for all
of you tribal tattoo aficionados out there.

This is, btw, one of the exclusive tattoo books that I carry.
I have so far not found "Basic Iban Design" anywhere but
in Borneo (not even on Malaysian Mainland; where in many
parts tattoos are usually frowned upon anyways).

Tattoo memoir

Tattoo..i never can get used to it.(a memoir)

Yesterday afternoon till late night,i said hello again to my old friend,the tattoo machine by Mickey Sharp. Ernesto finished my 6th and 7th piece tattoo at one shot...the biggest tattoos i ever had on my skin.They are the traditional Iban masterpiece on my back..known as 'Ketam Belakang',direct translation is=Back Crab...symbol of protection and strenght.In the old days,they mix the ink with charm and special medicine to make their skin weapon proof/'enda empa besi'. Its always a weird fear and nervous whenever i'm thinking about of getting a new tattoo.I wish i can have the privillege of getting it done in a traditional way,'betatuk'..which is less painful and heal faster.But who is going to assist Ernes?Not in this near future..maybe and hopefully..one day..:) The night before the tattooing,i can't differenciate preparing myself or trying to delay the suffering..haha.But i always remind myself...people in the old days of my tribe gone through stuff worse and harder than this...they go to war and battled almost every tribe in Borneo and the islands nearby...they might get killed and never return to their family..'antara ke nyawa'...their life and the spiritual world just bordered by a thin wall just as thick as the eyes layer ! So..what am i facing?NOTHING...! So..just do it and enjoy the pain theraphy..:)

The history of tattoo

 The word 'tattoo' is derived from the Tahitian word "tatu", which means 'to mark something'. Tattoo has been commonly practiced by different civilizations and cultures since 12,000 BC. The purpose and aim of getting a tattoo varied from one culture to another. One of the earliest people who practiced tattooing were the Egyptians. Archaeological digs have shown us that tattooing was practiced in Egypt from the time the Great Pyramids were being constructed. As the Egyptian empire grew, so did this art form spread to other civilisations such as Crete, Greece, Arabia and China. During the 17th century, pilgrims returning from Jerusalem were seen bearing permanent marks on their bodies. However, tattoos and people who bore them were not always viewed as pious or having good moral fiber. In the early 1800s, tattoos became associated with the criminal underclass as they were branded in order to display their illicit status. Eventually, tattoos became synonymous with the tough working class and criminals. These days, tattoos have become an acceptable part of our lives, mainly due to its revival by celebrities. While it has enjoyed an astounding comeback, the purpose behind getting a tattoo nowadays are somewhat different. These days, tattoos are used to carry the identity of certain groups, the mark of a person's individuality and the symbol of beauty. www.borneoheadhunter.com