Traditional tattoo methods in Southeast Asia

There was something about the rhythmic prod of the bamboo stick and the heat dissipating as the sun went down, that was peaceful, almost therapeutic. My first Thai bamboo tattoo was almost over. Thanks to the incredible craftsmanship and talent of the tattoo artist Kig, I was left with something I will treasure and travel with forever.

Getting a tattoo while on the backpacker circuit of Southeast Asia is something undertaken by many who pass through the region. I got my first ever tattoo in Cambodia and instantly fell in love with the experience. But while tattooing is understood to be a relatively new phenomenon in the west, it is an art form that has been practiced in Southeast Asia for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

In the Philippines, tattooing has been an integral cultural practice for many centuries. Similar to the Thai bamboo tattoo proccess used today, the traditional Filipino method uses a sharp object such as a thorn or a piece of bone, metal or wood, attached to one end of a stick and dipped in wet charcoal. Traditionally a slow and painful method, sittings are usually short and a large tattoo can take months to complete. The tattoos are said to possess spiritual powers and magical qualities which give strength and protection, and to enhance women's beauty and fertility.

When the Spanish first arrived in the Visayan islands in 1521, they described the Filipino people they met as "painted people". With them, and the expansion of Christianity in the archipelago, traditional methods of tattooing began to die out. Nearly 500 years on, the practice is slowly being revived not just in the Philippines, but also by Filipino communities all around the world, such as the "Mark of the Four Waves Tribe" in Los Angeles, who have grown into a global network looking to revive Filipino heritage and traditional tattooing methods.

Traditional tattoo method in the Philippines

In Thailand, and to a lesser extent Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, Yantra tattooing is still widely practiced. Consisting of sacred geometrical, animal and deity designs, the tattoos are often accompanied by Pali phrases (the language of earlier Buddhist literature). These offer power, protection, fortune and charisma, among other qualities. In Thailand, these sak yan tattoos are usually given by spiritual or religious leaders, traditionally Buddhist monks, using a khem sak, a metal rod sharpened to point. The process of getting one is intensely spiritual, accompanied by chanting and prayers, while the placement on the body is said to have great significance, the closer to the head (the centre of the soul), the greater the power.

In Borneo, among the Kayan people, tattooists are usually women, a hereditary honour passed down from mother to daughter, whereas it is more commonly a patriarchal role in other groups such as the Dayak and the Iban. As a young male member of the Iban tribe, you would traditionally first receive the Bungai Terung, an eggplant flower, to mark the Bejalai tradition (a journey of knowledge and wisdom), where an individual would leave their longhouse to experience the world. While nature is overall the main focus of Bornean tattoo designs, tattoos among the Iban people act almost like a diary on the body, a record of journeys and life events recorded on the skin.

Across Southeast Asia, and particularly in Thailand, the traditional "stick and poke" techniques used in all three countries remains popular, not just in the spiritual contexts outlined above, but also in more mainstream tattoo culture. It is believed that the this method is less traumatic to the skin and heals faster than the modern, mechanised tattoo gun. However, the skill involved in both methods is one of the intrinsically enjoyable aspects of getting a tattoo. As someone who is not blessed at creating art, for me, watching a tattoo artist create something of indelible beauty on your skin is almost as satisfying as walking away with the design itself.