Tattooed Penan Lady Doing Beadswork

Take a boat ride upriver Bintulu and drop by at a Penan longhouse. In their spare time, elderly Penan ladies , adept in doing beadswork keep this traditional craft alive. Nowadays beads are imported from China and could be either of glass or ceramic. Note the tattooed feet and hands of the Penan woman. This tattoo culture is disappearing among the younger generation of Penans due to modern educational influences and a more urban lifestyle.