Many cultures in the world have sacred animals that inspire arts like tattoos. Dayak people in Kalimantan (Borneo) have hornbills, one of the most distinctive rainforest birds. Studios in Kalimantan cities, like Banjarmasin tattoo studio, often give hornbill-inspired tattoos to clients interested in traditional imagery.
Why hornbills and not other birds? What makes these birds become popular motifs in Dayak-inspired tattoos?
The Meaning of Hornbills for Dayak People
Many Dayak groups in Indonesia and Malaysia hold hornbills (also known as enggang or rangkok) as sacred. They are parts of a Tree of Life concept called Batang Garing, which describes the world as a giant tree with rows of hornbills on its branches, and a jug on the bottom. The tree represents the worlds of the gods, humans, and the underworld. In this case, hornbills are related to the creation story.
Hornbills have appearances that command respect. Their sheer size, large wings, and loud voices are attributed to leadership and protective power. The Rhinoceros hornbill is known as Kenyalang among the Dayak Iban people, and they believe its tail feathers are connected to the worlds of humans and spirits.
Because of their sacred meanings, hornbills are featured heavily in the life of the Dayak people. Their images appear in various arts, such as longhouse carvings, holy statues, weapons, shield motifs, outfits, and of course, tattoos. The tail feathers of these birds are also used for dancing and ritual properties.
Which One is Hornbill Used as Tattoo Designs?
In Banjarmasin tattoo studio and other similar places in Kalimantan, there are specific types of hornbills to use as Dayak-inspired tattoo motifs.
Remember, “hornbill” (Bucerotidae) is just a family name of many species. Many types of hornbill species have distinctive looks, but only a few are featured prominently in Dayak arts. If you want to go to a traditional motif, look up the Rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros).
Known as enggang cula or rangkong badak, these are iconic rainforest birds in Indonesia and Malaysia. They are also the state birds of Sarawak and Malaysia’s national bird, and the one held sacred by Dayak Iban people, among others. The Rhinoceros hornbill’s prominent feature is a huge horn-like feature above its beak, which is curved upward and has a reddish-orange shade.
If you want another distinctive hornbill species as a visual representation, you can look up the great hornbill (Buceros bicornis). Also known as rangkong papan, these birds live in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Unlike the Rhinoceros hornbills, the great hornbills have smaller “horns”, and their beaks have more prominent downward curves. The beaks and horns also have bright yellow color instead of reddish-orange shades.
Hornbill Tattoo Motif Ideas
You can combine hornbill images with other motifs to create a more interesting pattern. For example, you can have a hornbill head surrounded by leaves and fruits. You can also add abstract shapes around the bird or even a frame to make it more attractive.
Ready to get your hornbill tattoos? Make sure you have enough visual inspiration to get the most satisfying tattoo results. Here are some ideas to discuss with your tattoo artist:
Dayak-inspired Hornbill
Dayak-inspired hornbill tattoos have distinctive looks with their intricate, curved, thick lines. You can also find inspiration from traditional Dayak designs that incorporate hornbills, such as the carvings on their longhouses, their beadwork, the motifs on their shields or musical instruments like sape, and many more.
Hornbill Heads
The great and Rhinoceros hornbills both have prominent heads. You can emphasize their head designs by using them as tattoo motifs. The distinctive beaks and colors will make them superb additions to your skin art.
Hornbill Tail Feathers
Aside from their heads, hornbills’ most prominent features are their tail feathers. Species like the great hornbill and the Rhinoceros hornbill have unique tail feathers, white with black stripes, which you can see at the hands of many female Dayak dancers. They are great as artistic motifs, especially if the artist adds other aesthetic details and patterns around the images.
Flying Hornbills
Large hornbill species are known for having big wings and wingspans. A flying hornbill is an excellent motif for a tattoo, especially if the artists can capture the feather and color details of the bird.
Hornbill-inspired Tribal Tattoos
Hornbill can be a good base for artistic tribal tattoos. You can have an almost abstract quality with a tribal tattoo inspired by such an iconic bird. There are many possibilities of placements for tribal tattoos, such as forearms, backs, shin tattoos, or even sleeves.
Ready to get inspired by the iconic hornbills? Banjarmasin tattoo studio does a lot of hornbill motifs, but you can also get similar artwork from Ink Satire Bali Private Tattoo Studio. Combining professional artistry with exclusive service, you can get the best hornbill tattoo with any visual inspiration you think of. Make an appointment at Ink Satire Bali Private Tattoo Studio now to get your dream hornbill tattoo.