Kandean Dulang as Identity

Kandean dulang is a traditional Toraja eating utensil. Kandean means plate, while dulang which comes from the word dolong means a place for side dishes and vegetables.

Historically, kandean dulang was made by each family according to the number of members, it was not made in large quantities and was not traded. This relates to the exclusive ownership of kandean dulang.

One kandean cannot be used by another person, even within the same nuclear family. This is characterized by the height of the kandean dulang which varies according to the position of the family members. Plates with high legs are called kandean rare’, plates with low legs are called kandean resso’, while plates with the lowest height are called dikanukui. Apart from having different heights, kandean also has a shape with stems, called kandean ditoeanni. The different shapes symbolize the social strata in Toraja culture.

In the Aluk Todolo belief (traditional Toraja life teachings), people who die simply move from nature to the world of spirits. This means that death is not an essential change in the course of human life. This understanding affects the kandean tray that is included in the grave, because the spirit is thought to still use it.

The social status attached to living people remains attached when they die, including the kandean dulang which represents that status. This illustrates the importance of kandean dulang, both in daily life and in sacred activities.

The geometric shape of the kandean tray combined with a handle (handle) is a form of Toraja artistic expression, which we can also find in a lyric in the song “Dolong-Dolong”.

Dolong-dolong pa’saran kayu,
dipanglo’doi utan battae’.
Utan battae’ mammi dikande,
Dipasitollo lada katokkon”

The dolong-dolong song is an expression of Toraja people’s joy when cooking. This song is usually sung by a mother or children while holding dolong (containers for vegetables, side dishes and chili sauce) when in the kitchen. Dolong is part of the kandean dulang which complements traditional Toraja eating utensils.

This means that the completeness of the kandean dulang consists of a plate, a container for vegetables and side dishes, a container for chili sauce, and a tool for pounding the chili sauce.

Penggunaan kandean dulang di jamannya dianggap memiliki efisiensi yang tinggi, karena kandean dulang yang berbahan kayu tidak mudah pecah atau retak. Meskipun Orang Toraja pada umumnya sudah menggunakan piring plastik atau kaca untuk kebutuhan sehari-hari, kandean dulang masih dapat ditemukan di beberapa rumah terutama di desa-desa yang pola kehidupannya masih tradisional. Hanya sebagian saja yang masih difungsikan sebagai alat-alat dapur atau makan, sebagian lainnya disimpan sebagai warisan dari orang tua atau nenek-kakeknya. Ini menggambarkan bahwa kandean dulang memiliki ikatan dengan penggunanya, bukan semata fungsinya sebagai alat makan.