Recently, the lead singer of Red Hot Chili Peppers (RHCP), Anthony Kiedis, vacationed in Indonesia, specifically on the Mentawai Islands in West Sumatra. A photo uploaded to social media showed Kiedis sitting with two locals who are sirekei or Mentawai shamans. Reportedly, Kiedis spent an eight-day vacation in Mentawai in April 2024.

The fact that Anthony Kiedis is vacationing in Mentawai is great news for Indonesia's tourism sector. It can be a promotional moment to introduce Indonesian tourism, especially in the Mentawai Islands, to be more widely recognized. Moreover, Mentawai boasts exciting tourism and creative economy potential, including the globally renowned art of traditional tattoos, known as rajah art.

Don't be surprised if you see Mentawai's body covered with tattoos. This is undoubtedly motivated by the nature of tattoos, which function as an identity for the Mentawai tribe. The choice of tattooed motifs is also not arbitrary because the carvings on the bodies of the Mentawai people reflect their land of origin, social status, and hunting prowess.

Interestingly, according to the Mentawai tradition, tattoos also represent natural balance. The local community believes everything has a soul, so they immortalize objects such as rocks, animals, and plants on their bodies.

Photo: One of the motifs of a typical Mentawai tattoo (Dok Pesona Travel/Fatris MH)

History and Process of Mentawai Tattoo

The art of rajah, or tattooing, in Mentawai is not new. Reportedly, the art of tattooing the body in Mentawai has existed since 1,500 BC and is passed down from generation to generation by the Mentawai tribe. It makes Mentawai tattoo art the oldest tattoo art in the world.

Another captivating aspect of Mentawai tattoo art is the traditional process involved in its creation. In contrast to modern methods, Mentawai tattoos still use conventional techniques. Before tattooing, the sipatiti, or tattoo artist, conducts a ceremony with the sikerei. Following this, the sipatiti begins by sketching an outline of the body area to be tattooed.

A traditional wooden needle inserts a natural dye derived from a mixture of banana leaves and coconut shell charcoal into the skin during tattooing. The sipatiti gently applies the dye to the body by tapping it with a wooden stick.

The Meaning of Mentawai Tattoo Motifs

Each traditional Mentawai tattoo is made differently, according to each person's role in daily life. One of the easiest things to recognize is that Mentawai male tattoos differ from Mentawai female tattoos.

Usually, the tattoos on the male body are black lines curving from the right shoulder to the left shoulder, symbolizing arrows or images of hunted animals. On the other hand, Mentawai women have tattoos of a subba or tangguk, which represents their role in catching fish in the river.

Meanwhile, the images or tattoo motifs for local people who act as hunters or sikerei will also be different. For example, a Mentawai hunter uses tattoos according to the animals he catches, such as pigs, deers, monkeys, birds, or crocodiles. Meanwhile, a sikerei generally has a "Sibalu-balu" star tattoo.

Isn't the history and meaning behind traditional Mentawai tattoo motifs interesting, Sob?