Tattoo's of Borneo

In the years 1893-94, 1896-97 and 1898-1900 the Dutch government sponsored Dr Anton Nieuwenhuis in three expeditions to Borneo – to study the Dayaks of Kalimantan (Borneo being at the time a part of the Dutch East Indies).

And one hundred years later Henk Schiffmacher (aka Hanky Panky) tattoo artist – and lead singer of the rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers Anthony Kiedis followed in Nieuwenhuis footsteps in their quest to discover the tattooing practices of the Dayak headhunters of the region. In which the pair wrote about in the book ‘De Grote Borneo Expeditie’.  

By Paul Sayce

Posted on 25th June 2009