The beauty of Borneo weaving

"Wow, cool!" As an expression of a user's fingers as she watched Mary Judith (24) dancing on rattan vines. The entire body concentrating making wicker "tahing ketore" Dayak people sleeping mats.

Webbing as Judith made it over the last three years have brought together dozens of women Dayak tribe in Kalimantan. Matting also make women self-reliant, able to see the wide world, and feel proud of their own culture.

When found, on Thursday (28/03/2013), Judith is completing silumandah motif in Adi Kriya Anyam Arts Festival in Bentara Culture Jakarta, Jalan Palmerah Selatan, Jakarta. In the other corner there is Veronika Tirah (52), the Dayak women Bahau. Veronika is completing the manufacture cahung, like hats hat of plaited pandanus leaves, Aoheng typical Dayak tribe, tribal Veronika husband.

Previously, the two women did not know each other. Judith from District Lumbis, Nunukan, close to Malaysia, while Veronika from Mahakam Ulu, West Kutai, in the middle of the island of Borneo. Primary school girls and housewife with three kids that are united by a love of webbing, especially after their training is facilitated woven Bhakti Foundation for Total Indonesia Lestari (YBTBIL) along with 30 other women since 2010.

"Last year I come to Paris, France," said Veronika proud. Likewise, Judith. Veronika and Judith together YBTBIL showcasing basket with colleagues other Dayak women.

While in Paris, Veronika surprised by the enthusiastic welcome of French citizens in the webbing. Remarks that makes them more love and pride in Borneo woven intricate but beautiful so requires diligence when making.

Complex and rare

Since the age of 10 years Judith has learned the actual weaving. However, Judith takes 10 years to be proficient to prepare wicker color. Besides elaborate, incidental learning is only done if the family made a new matting for family purposes.

At the age of 10 years, Judith could only master motive for suburban mat: up twice, down twice. At the age of 18, he mastered the central motif, the motif between the edge of the mat with the core motif. At age 20, he can make a mat finish stage.

To prepare for plaiting materials, rattan shaved 1.5 millimeters wide. To produce black, rattan boiled for three hours with black soil and leaf sibangol.

As with Veronika. Previous mother of two absolutely can not weave. Cahung weaving traditions are extinct in the village. He was just starting to learn to make cahung in 2010 when invited activists woven Kalimantan, Theodora Hangin Bang Donggo, training in Aberdeen. However, the results are not perfect.

Upon returning to his village, Veronika seeking parents who are still able to make cahung and it was not there. Finally he found the 80-year-old grandmother from other districts who taught him to make cahung. The grandmother was willing to travel 8 hours down the Mahakam River and stay at home for one week Veronica specifically to teach make cahung, including decorative carvings.

"I do it because I love the webbing. First ancestors who could not write had been able to make, why not now. I wish it was not extinct, "says Veronika.

As a result, Veronika adept at making cahung and able to make the group of women making cahung which now comprises 15 people. However, only three people are still actively producing.

In the village of Judith, now there are three groups of people who make mats with members of about 60 people after training with Judith also Hangin in Balikpapan. There is also a male member. The men are usually in charge of taking cane to the forest, while the women cultivate and menganyamnya into mats.

Empower

The groups formed after a request from YBTBIL manufacturing woven and weaving training at Aberdeen. "As long as we do not know how to market it, after our request so excited," said Judith. Similarly with Veronika. "We can produce and have their own income," says Veronika.

One cahung diameter of 40 centimeters could be completed within three days, while the diameter of 60 centimeters cahung completed within one week. The mat is completed within a month.

Moonlighting is very useful when Veronika husband died last year. "Maybe if I was not there for this job, I was late in the dumps," he said. He is now independent and can earn an average of Rp 1 million per month.

Until now, there were 32 women who attended training with Hangin in eight waves of various races including Sand Dayak and Lundayeh that experts make baskets. One wave is usually followed by 4-5 participants from one tribe. One week they were studying in Aberdeen.

To meet the needs of the times, wicker modified products until the women's handbags, purses, pencil cases, to wall hangings. Hangin even make accessories perpanduan wicker and beads as earrings, bracelets, and rings. Modifications done so that products that have thousands of years of living in Borneo is not eroded out of date.