Woodcraft and carving
Historically, much of Malaysia was covered with forests and wood was abundant. The first objects made of wood were utilitarian; designs and forms were simple, functional and unadorned. Simple wooden utensils used for carrying, storing and cooking were common. Later, as civilization developed, agricultural implements and tools, buildings and boats were made out of wood, as many still are today, and the wooden items used became more sophisticated. A proliferation of forms, and the designs and motifs carved, characterized the development of the wood tradition. Sometimes, design styles differed according to region, as in the case of boats and housing.
It is difficult to say exactly when decorative woodcarving in Malaysia began, but, in relation to the Malays, the history of woodcarving is closely intertwined with the progression of their culture over the centuries. Early forms and motifs were closely associated with the traditional way of life and sometimes took the form of symbols based on creatures perceived to have the power to ward off evil and malicious spirits. Pre-Islamic influences were commonly found in motifs of animals such as birds, tigers, snakes, dragons, monkeys, squirrels and others. The embrace of Islam by the Malays brought a new impetus to the art of woodcarving, in particular stylized or abstract designs and motifs based on the cosmos, plant life and calligraphy, in Arabic or Malay Jawi script, became the new stylistic focus. Few carvings more than 300 years old exist today, but many of them have been preserved in traditional Malay buildings. The best examples of exquisitely executed woodcarvings that are more than a century old are those displayed in the old palaces of the Malay rulers found in Kelantan at the Istana Balai Besar and Istana Jahar and in Negeri Sembilan at the Istana Ampang Tinggi. Particularly fine examples dating from the early to mid-18th century can also be seen in certain mosques, including in Kelantan, Melaka and Kuala Terengganu.
With the emergence of the Peranakan came unique woodcraft blending Chinese, Malay and European motifs and styles. In comparison, later 19th-century Chinese migrants preferred more traditionally Chinese designs. A great wood sculpture tradition exists among the indigenous peoples of Malaysia, including the Mah Meri and Jah Hut Orang Asli animist groups of Peninsular Malaysia. Coastal dwellers, the Mah Meri’s carvings (often ritual masks) reflect spirits related to water, while the Jah Hut, who live in the jungles of Pahang, carve sculptures of forest spirits. Originally carving only for their own purposes, the work of both groups is now sought after by museums, galleries and private collectors. Besides utilitarian items, in Sarawak and Sabah a large number of decorative woodcarved items are seen, such as musical instruments, walking sticks and carvings on rafters, walls, doors and posts of longhouses. Carved ritual objects include masks, sculptures, burial poles and huts, sickness images and carved sword handles and sheaths. Ivory, bone and bamboo are also used as a carving medium, the latter for tobacco and other containers, smoking pipes and blowpipe dart holders.
