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2 editorial3 AWordfrom thesCC
4 Welcometo BIBCo
6 CelticCourtinginCymru
8 CamelBone Carving
10 RWCB2010 Memories
12 BestBelovedBags
13 Customized Parangs14 APageofHistory15 What’soninthe WorldofCrafts
15 WheretoBuy... BeadedCrafts
BeADsLInKtHeWoRLD!
sarawakCraftCouncil,sarawakHandicraftCentre,Roundtower,Lot32sect25KtLD,JalantunAbangHajiopeng,93100Kuching,sarawak
tel6082245652,252241,fax6082420253e-mail:[email protected]:sarawakhandicraft.com
PublishedforsCCby:Crafthubsdn.Bhd,FirstFloor,no.96MainBazaar,93000KuchingsarawakMalaysia.
tel:6082421346fax:6082614622email:[email protected]:www.crafthub.com.my2
WelcometoCRAFtsmagazine,welcometoMiri!
thisoctober,wehopetomeetalotofourregularreadersonaveryspecialoccasion:theBorneoInternationalBeadConference,tobeheldon the9thand10thof themonth,atParkcityeverlyHotelinMiri.
“WhyinMiri?”alotofpeopleaskedwhentheprojectwasstillinitsplanningstages.
For a good reason:Miri, east sarawak, theBaramcatchment ingeneral,maybedescribedassarawak’sbeadheartland!ourmostbead-loving and bead-collecting people, the orang Ulu, LunBawang,Kelabitandtheirmanycousins, liveinthisarea.Beadsstillplayanimportantpartineverydaylife,peoplebuynewbeads,treasure theiroldbeads,andnearlyeverygirlknowshowtodobeadwork.
theBeadConference,BIBCo,bringstogetherfriendsfromallovertheworldwhoareinterestedinbeads.theseseeminglyinsignificantlittle things have been trade goods since time immemorial, andthey still are!Beads found in the archaeological sitesofBujangValleyinWestMalaysiaareidenticalwiththoseexcavatedinniahCavesandsantubong,insarawak!RelatedtypeshavebeenfoundalloversoutheastAsia,Africa–theworld.
BIBCo will present a well-chosen variety of papers, on beadytopics starting inpre-historyandendingup in2010.the listonpages4-5 introducesourspeakers, internationaland local,eachanexpertinhisorherfield.Audienceandspeakersarefromallpartsoftheworld–soarebeads!Imagineonelongstringofbeadslinkingcontinentsandcountries,andyougettheidea.
Besidestheformal‘lecture’partoftheconference,therearebead-workers demonstrating their craft, and bead-sellers showcasingfinelyworkedproducts;agreatprogammeisplannedfortheGalaDinneronsaturdayevening.
one reason for having a bead conference, instead of simplyorganizingabigbeadmarket,istobringtheimportanceofbeadsintofocus.Asignificantnumberofsarawak’scraftworkersareinfactbeadworkers.somethreadbeadsintoahundreddifferentarticles–bracelets,headbands,anklets,belts,purses,babybaskets,bookcovers, the lot! – others string beads into aesthetically pleasingneck-piecesoftraditionalormoderndesign.Asmallerbutgrowinggroupofcraftspeoplemakebeads fromscratch,modelling themfromfineceramicclay,paintingandglazingthem,andfiringtheminaproperkiln.thisnewcraft,amounting toanart,allows theartisantoeitherreplicatetraditionaldesigns,orgivefreereintohercreativeimpulsesandcomeupwithsomethingnew!
theverysmallestgroupofbeadmakersinsarawakhavetakentoworkingglass.thesebeadmakersfollowinthefootstepsofglass-workers of old, inAlexandria,Hebron,Venice,Gablonz,whereourclassic‘BorneoBeads’werecreated.Glass-workingisaskillthat takes a long time to learn, and requires quite sophisticatedequipment.onlyafewdeterminedartistshavetheperseverancetobecomegoodbeadmakers,andwewelcomethebandofpioneers!
thoseofourreaderswhowon’tbeabletobewithusinMiricanget a tasteof theeventby lookingat thewebsite.therewillbelotsofpicturesandinformationthereaftertheconferenceisover:www.crafthub.com.my,clickon‘beadconference’.
CRAFtsispublishedbyCrafthubsdn.Bhd.forthesarawakCraftCouncil(sCC).opinionsexpressedbycontributorstoCRAFtsarenotnecessarilythoseofthesCCorCrafthub.thecontentsofCRAFtsmaynotbereproducedinanymediumwithoutpriorwrittenpermission.Feedbackisalwayswelcome,writetousattheaddressbelow,email:[email protected]:www.crafthub.com.my
WouldyoulikeyourcrafteventtoappearinourWhat’son…freelisting?Wouldyouliketoadvertiseatveryreasonablerates?thenemailtheeditorwithdetailsto:[email protected]
editor:HeidiMunanPublicationManager:FreyaMartinContributors:ReynoldAhviet,AnnetteBessant,RayCooper,FfredFfrancis,CynthiaLobato,RitikPrasad&LigiGeorgePrintedbyBahagiaPresssdnBhd,Lot225section49,JlnPadunganUtara,93100KuchingPublishedbyCrafthubsdnBhd,1stFloor,96MainBazaar,93000KuchingIssn1985-7357
Cover image: Dr tan sri George Chanofficially opens the 2010 Rainforest WorldCrafts Bazaar assisted by Heidi Munan,Director RWCB (left) and Datuk GramongJuna,ChairmanofthesCCandYBhgDatosriempiang.PhotocopyrightMaridontreks
ourguestofhonour,tohPuan
DatukPatinggiHajahnorkiah
The Sarawak Craft CouncilthesCCpromotes thestate’s ethnichandicrafts, both topreserveapricelessartisticheritageandtoimprovetheartisans’livelihood.thepredominantlyruralcraftworkersnowhavearealisticoptiontoaugmenttheirincomefromagriculture.theCraftCouncilcoordinatestheactivitiesofgovernmentandprivateentitiesinvolvedinhandicraftdevelopmentinsarawak.
Mission StatementthesarawakCraftCouncilprovidesleadershipinthedevelopmentandenhancementofthehandicaftindustryinsarawak.
Objectiveto develop the handicraft industry into amore coordinated andprogressiveenterprisethatwillcomplementtheneedsofthetourismindustry.
thesCCbuildingabove,situatednexttotheoldCourthouseinKuching,hasaqualitycraftsshoponthegroundfloorwhichisopenfrom8.30am-4.30pm,MondaytoFriday.
3
byReynoldAhviet
A word from...The Sarawak Craft Council
Greetings fellowreadersakacraftenthusiasts, Iamsure that the
lastfewmonthshavebeenablastforeveryoneinvolvedincraftsin
sarawakandtherestofMalaysia.HereinsarawakinJulytheevent
scenewasdominatedbytheRainforestWorldCraftsBazaarrunin
conjunctionwith thatmosthappeningofculturalextravaganzas,
the Rainforest World Music Festival 2010 at sarawak Cultural
Village,santubong,justoutsideKuching.
Itcertainlyhasbeenapackedfewmonthsforusbecausenotonly
didwehavetheRWCBon8–11July,butwewerealsobusyatthe
HornbillFestivalinKualaLumpuron24–25JulyandtheBorneo
ArtsandCulturalFestivalinLabuanon6–8August.
thisyear’sRWCBwasagainaverysuccessfulone.Wenoticedthat
manymorevisitorsweremakingapit-stopattheBazaarareato
browseandofcourseshop!Itcertainlybenefitedourcraftspeople
whohadcomealongwayfromeverypartofsarawaktoattend.A
greatmixofculturewithmusicandcraftsallinonespot.
notlongaftertheRWCB,wethenheadedtoMAtIC(theMalaysian
tourismCentre)inKualaLumpurfortheHornbillFestival.thetwo-day
eventwasfilledwithculturalperformances,localfoodandofcourse
crafts!!ItwasgreattoseesomanyKLitescomeandenjoythemselves
andsomehowtheymanagedtotakehomequitealotofbeads,bangle
beadsthatis.
onelasteventbeforewecametothefastingmonthfrom11August
was theBorneoArtsandCulturalFestival inLabuan.thiseventwas
organised by theMinistry oftourism (Labuan Ft) and was held in
beautiful surroundings by the seaside facing the ever magnificent
southChinasea.thethree-dayfestivalwasfilledwithanexhibition
(sales)ofcrafts,culturalperformancesandartworkshops.
that’sallfromusfolks,maywetakethisopportunitytowishselamat
HariRayatoourMuslimfriendsandcrafters too!Haveawonderful
RayaholidayeveryoneandseeyouinthenewYear!
The inaugural...
Cheah Hwei Fen - Nyonya Beadwork
Dr.Cheah lectures inAsian art and textilehistory at theAustralian national University. Her book on nyonyabeadwork in the straits settlements, PHoenIX RIsInG,was published inMarch 2010 bynationalUniversity ofsingaporePress.
Dr.Cheahwill share beautifulvisualsandexamplesofnyonya beadwork and embroidery. she will drawcomparisons with dress, costumes, jewelleryand interior decorations to explore PeranakanChinese ideas about fashion, identity, change andwomen’s lives in the late 19th and 20th centuries.Dr. Cheah is herself a nyonya currently residing inAustralia.
David Baradas - Beads in the Philippines
Dr.DavidBaradasisaretiredsocialanthropologistwhohasbeenactiveasaculturaladministrator,acollegeprofessor,writerandmuseumcurator.Hehaspublishedextensivelyon the area of traditional art and culture. His bookLAnDoFtHeMoRnInG;treasures of the Philippineswas published by the san Francisco Folk Arts Museum.He is currently a member of the executive Committee,Committeeon IntangibleHeritage,nationalCommissionofCultureandtheArts.
HispresentationatBIBCowillcoverthehistoryofbeadsinthePhilippines,andparticularlythebeadculturesoftheindigenouspopulationssuchastheKalinga,Ifugao,tboli,BagonoandBilaan.
Eileen Paya Foong - An Uma Pawek Family’s Heirloom Beads
today, in sarawak, old beads are preserved as part of afamily’sheirloomorbarang pu’unandpasseddownfromonegenerationtothenext.
eileenPaya tells the storyofoneKenyah family’spesaka(heirloom) beads which were passed down by hergrandmother, Julan Paren, from the Uma Pawek, LongApu, inUlu Baram. In the olden days, beads played animportant role as decorative or ritual objects, bridepriceandinbartertrading.
Heidi Munan - Borneo Bead Culture in the 21st Century
HeidiMunanhasbeenstudyingthematerialcultureofsarawakforover30years.InhercapacityasaprivateresearcherandHon. Curator of Beads at the sarawakMuseum she has hadampleopportunitytostudyandlearnfromindigenousexpertsandforeignscholarsinthisandrelatedfields.shehaspublishedbooks,articlesandpapersonvarioustopicsrelatedtosarawakandBorneo,amongthemtHeBeADsoFBoRneo,editionsDidierMillet Paris/singapore.HerBIBCopaperwill examinethestatusofsarawak’sbeadcultureatthethresholdofthe21stcentury.
Ipoi Datan - Pre-historic and early historic beads of Borneo
IpoiDatan isanotedarchaeologist,andDirectorofsarawakMuseum.Hehasconductedexcavations, andevaluated sitespartlyexcavatedatanearlierperiod,inmanypartsofsarawak.ofparticularinteresttothepresentconferencearebeadfindsincavessuchasniahandGuahsireh,andinancienttradingportslikesantubong.
BeadsfromarchaeologicalcontextsareexhibitedintheDewantunAbdulRazakwing(‘newMuseum’),whiletradebeadsareonshowinthetextileMuseum,bothinKuching.
Jamey Allen- The Heirloom Beads of Island Southeast Asia
JameyAllen’s presentationwilldiscuss thebeadsofBorneo,Java,Formosa,thePhilippines,andcontiguouslocations.
Ancient and antique beads are cherished throughout theworld;butonlyintheregionofIslandsoutheastAsiaisthereanongoingandsubstantial traditionthatremainsasvitalandinterestedintheseartifactsofthepastandpresent,comparedtootherareas.theheirloombeadsofIseAconsistofbeadsandartifacts that span as long as 2,000 years ago to thepresent.theycomeinanumberofmaterials,glass,agate,andmetals,andhavebeenderivedfromanumberofindustries,includingthemodernimportationoftradebeadsfromeurope.
BORNEO INTERNATIONALBEAD CONFERENCE (BIBCO)
Parkcity Everly Hotel, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo9 - 10 October 2010
4
Eileen Paya Fong
Heidi Munan
Dr. Poline Bala Reita Rahim
Jamey Allen
Yekti Kusmartono Dr. David Baradas
Dr. Cheah Hwei Fen
Ipoi Datan
Nor Azmah bt. Abdul Kadir
Nor Azmah bt. Abdul Kadir- Making Ceramic and Glass Beads in Malaysia
norAzmahbt.AbdulKadirisPrincipalResearcheroftheAdvancedPolymer and Composites Programme at sIRIM. In her opinion,ceramicsproductioninMalaysiahasalongwaytogo.
“Pottersjustdigtheclayoutoftheground,mixitwithwaterandstartcastingitintoamould.thereisnopropermethodforprocessingtheclaybeforeusingit.”
nor Azmah’s presentation at BIBCo will centre on a fairly new‘industry’ inMalaysia, theproductionofceramicandglassbeads.BoththeseskillsaretaughtbysIRIM.
Poline Bala- Kelabit/Orang Ulu Value Beads and Conservation
Dr.PolineBala,aUnIMAs(Universityofsarawak)sociologist,isanexpertontheorangUluandKelabitcultures.sheisactivelyinvolvedintheeBarioprogramme,designedtolinktheremotehighlandstotheworldbyelectroniccommunications.
Poline will present a paper on the cultural value placed by hercommunity on antique heirloom beads, and the reasons forpreservingthesetreasuresforfuturegenerations.
Reita Rahim- Organic materials used as beads by Malaysia’s
indigenous peoples
ReitaRahimrunsafairtradeinitiativecalledGeraioA(orangAsli),an organisation she describes as “a nomadic, volunteer-run stallwhich sells handicrafts made by the orang Asal, the indigenousminoritiesofMalaysia.”
Reitanotonlycollectsandmarketssuchhandicraft,shealsoactivelydocumentsthematerials,proceduresandlorethatgowiththeancientcrafts.HerpaperdrawsonherwideknowledgeandexperiencewithorangAsalfrombothsidesofthesouthChinasea,andtheiruseoforganicmaterialsasbeads.
Yekti Kusmartono- From Shards to Arts – Antique Beads, Recycled Glass
YektiKusmartonoisoneofIndonesia’sforemostbeadscholars,whogivesfrequentlecturesandpracticalcourses.shewillintroducetheantique beads forwhich Indonesia is justly famous.the craft andskill,however,survivestothisday,sothatvirtuallyexactcopiesofrareandhighlyvaluedancientbeadscanbeproducedwithlaborioushand-work.thebeadmakersofeastJavausebrokenglassastheirrawmaterial,producing‘artfromshards’,literally!
Yektiwill give theparticipants atBIBCo somepointersonhow todistinguishgenuineoldbeadsfrommodernreplicas.
Borneo International Beads Conference 2010
5
The Lovespoon – A Celtic Tradition
Although the tradition of carving spoons is not unique toWales (Cymru), the quality of those produced in Wales isamong thebest in theworld.thedevelopmentof thespoonfromacommonkitchenutensilusedbyruralpeasantrytooneexhibitingintricatelycarveddesignsasasymbolofloveandaffectionisauniquelyWelshphenomenon.
exactlywhenthis traditionstarted isunknown,butcenturiesago,Waleswasapoor, rural societywhoseyouthcouldnotafford to give presents of expensive jewellery, and insteadtheydidtheirutmosttocreateasbeautifulawoodenspoonaspossibletocapturetheheartofaspecialgirl.
Practical skills in a husband would have been verydesirable and a beautifully carved spoonwouldclearly demonstrate the youngman’s skills.thespoonasalovetokenwasalsosuggestiveoftheman’sability toprovidesustenance forhis futurewifeandfamily.themorecomplicatedanddifficultthedesign,themoreitwouldsymbolizethedepthof the creator’s love andhis desire to labour onbehalfofhislovedone.
However, it is unlikely that a youth wouldspendtoomuchtimeandeffort ifhedidnotthinkhehadarealisticchanceofwinningthegirl.Whenagirlacceptedthespoon,theyoungpeople would more than likely then embarkona relationshipandbe seenas a ‘couple’bytheir community. It must be remembered thatthecustomof ‘engaging’andhavingaweddingceremonywasnotcommon in ruralWalesuntiltheendof the18thcentury, and themajorityofyoungcoupleswouldsimplyco-habit.
thisCelticcourtingcustomwaswidespreadacrossWales.However,itisimpossibletoknowhowmanylovespoonswereproduced;manywereverydelicatecreationsand,althoughtheywouldhavebeendisplayedonthewallandnotusedforeatingorcooking, theywerestilleasilybroken.theearliestexistingexamplesdatetothe17thcentury.
spoonsarenotjustforeating
The Lovespoon – Symbolism
theearliest spoonswerenotvery intricateandhadavery simpledesignwithperhaps the initialsof thecoupleandaholeof somesortinthetopofthespoonhandletohangitonthewall.overthecenturies,manysymbolsandmotifswereaddedandthelovespoonsbecamemoreelaborateanddecorative.Manyoftheyoungcarverswouldhavebeenshyandunwillingtoshowtheiremotionsandsowouldhaveattemptedtoconveytheirtruefeelingsthroughtheuseofvarioussymbols.therehasbeenmuchdebateonthesignificanceofthedifferentsymbolsandmotifsused,butmanyofthesymbolsusedtoconveylovearefamiliarthroughouteurope.
today,aswellasbeingagiftofaffectionoramementoofavisittoWales,lovespoonsaregivenontheoccasionofweddings,birthdays,anniversaries, births, engagements, christenings, house warmingsand on st.Valentine’s Day. some of the most popular and well-knownsymbolsarelistedbelow.
BeLL – Weddings;Anniversaries;togetherinHarmony.
BALLInCAGe – Loveheldsafe.thenumberofballscansignifynumberofchildrendesired.
BIRDs – Lovebirds;Let’sgoawaytogether.thestork,ifused,representsanewbirth.
CHAIn – Awishtobetogetherforever.thenumberoflinkssignifynumberofchildrendesired.
CRoss – FaithinChristJesus;AwishtobeboundtogetherinChrist;AwishforGod’sblessing.
DIAMonD – Wealth;Goodfortune.HeARt – Love,obviously!HoRsesHoe – Goodluck.KeY/KeYHoLe/LoCK – security;Ishalllookafteryou.Knot/CeLtICKnotWoRK – eternallove;togetherForever;
everlasting.tWIsteDsteM – twolivesbecomeasone;
togetherness.DRAGon – Protection.Alsothesymbolof
Cymru.
6
The Lovespoon – The Creative Process
the early carvers had no designs to follow or any specialist
technical knowledge. they would have used very simple tools,
onlyapocketknife,anaxeandperhapsasaw.takingthetoolsinto
account,theintricacyofsomeoftheircreationsistrulyremarkable,
particularlywhenonerealizesthataspoonwithballswithinacage
wouldhavebeenmadefromonepieceofwood.
Itisrarethesedaysforamantotakethetroubletomake
his own lovespoon, especially when he can buy one
madebyamastercraftsman.suchasPaulCurtiswho,
backinthe1980sattheageof16,wasintroducedto
thecraftbythehighlyacclaimedmastercraftsmanand
expertonthehistoryoftheWelshlovespoon,Gwyndaf
Breeze.
When making a lovespoon, Paul firstselectsasuitablepieceofwoodandcutsittoamanageablesize.traditionally,themost popularwoodwas sycamore, butyew,oak,boxwood,andevenfruittreessuchasappleorwildcherrywereused.Paul favours limewood.the key to thechoiceofwoodis that itshouldhaveaclosegrain,whichreducesthelikelihoodof thewood splitting during the dryingprocessandwhichissoimportantwhenthespooniscarvedasasinglepiece.
Afterselectingthewood,Pauldrawsthedesignontoitssurfaceandthen chisels out the basic shape of the spoon.then the intricatecarvingworkbegins.once the spoon is fully formed, it is sandedthree timeswithdifferent gradesof sandpaper andpolished twicewithbeeswax.
“thisisapainstakingwaytofinishalovespoon,”saysPaul,“butistheonlywaytoachieveaqualitysmoothsilkyfinishthattheWelshLovespoondeserves.”
7
(a) theCelticknotworkonthislovespoon(24cm)isextremelydifficulttocarvebecauseofitsintricacy.theknotworkbindstheheartstogetherandalsoconveystheconceptofeverlastinglove
(b) Inthisexample,thebirdshoveraboveahorseshoe,underwhichthereisalargeheartthatcanbeengravedwiththenamesofthecouple(c) thislovespoon(31cm)hastwoballswithinacageasasymbolofloveheldsafe(d) onecannothelpbutadmirethecomplexityofthislovespoon(23cm)withitsdesignofthe CeltictreeofLove,symbolizingtwolivesgrowingasone(e) thechainatthetopofthislovespoon(38cm)symbolizestwo liveslinkedtogetherforever
The Editor of CRAFTS would like to thank Ffred Ffransis of Llanfihangel-Ar-Arth, Cymru for his kind permission to adapt the contents of his website for this article. Examples of Paul’s work can be purchased by visiting www.cadwyngifts.com
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e)
Bone-carvingisanoldtraditioninIndia,thoughivory–till itsusewas legally prohibited about two decades ago –was thematerialmost commonly used. As early as the 6th century AD, BarahaMihir,animportantastronomerandmathematician,alsointerestedin architecture and furniture design, mentions in his treatise onfurniture that bedsteads made of timbers beneficial to mankindshouldpreferablyhavecarved ivoryfloralpanels toenhance theirbeauty (Prahbas sen, Crafts ofWest Bengal, Mapin, Ahmedabad,1994,p.136).thesoundofaconch-shellbeingblownisoneoftheenduringsoundsofprayerinHinduhouseholdsandtemples;equallyenduringarealargenumberofitemsthatarepartoftraditionandritual,orofadecorativeethosthatcontinues.Itemsasdisparateasconchshellbangles(shankha)wornbyBengalibrides,ivoryfigurinesandchessmen,andcombsmadeofhornarefamiliarineverydaylife.
PractitionersMushtaqAhmad,whocarves itemsoutof camelbone,hails fromLucknow.HissonAshtaqAhmadsaysthatthechoiceofcamelbonestemschiefly from the limitationscreatedby thebanningof ivory.Fatherandsonrepresentalargegroupofartisansaffectedbythebanonivory,mostofwhomhavecontinuedtopractisetheircraftusingothermaterials.MushtaqAhmadusedtocarveinivorytillthatwas[no longer]permitted.AshtaqAhmadhas learnt thecraft fromhisfather;howeverunlikealotofIndiancrafts,camelbonecarvingisnotgenerallyahereditarycraft,andisnotpassedonfromgenerationto generation. Mushtaq Ahmad learnt the craft from an ustad (askilledcraftsperson).AshtaqAhmad says that there are a groupofveryskilledcamelbonecarversinaparticularareaofLucknow(thecapitalofthestateofUttarPradesh),whichheholdstobethemostaccomplishedcentreofcamelbonecarving.thecamelbonecarvinginotherareasinUttarPradesh,hebelieves,visiblylackthedelicacyandfinessethathisfather–anationalAwardwinner–cancreate.
CAMEL BONE CARVING ByRitikPrasad
techniquetherawmaterial,camelbone, saysAshtaqAhmad, is suppliedbyspecificbutchers.Heexplainsthatallthetoolsusedbyhisfatherandhimaremadebythem–nospecifictoolsforcarvingcamelboneareretailed.AccordingtoAshtaqAhmad,amongconventionaltools,theari(saw)isused.otherfinertoolsaremadeoutofthemetalspokes
8
incyclesandumbrellas,bythecamelbonecarversthemselves.therangeofproductsmadeisstrikinglyeclectic,rangingfromlampbasesandsmallboxestointerestingnecklacesandearrings.severaloftheboxesdisplayedby the father-son teamwerecarvedwithextremedelicacy and care,with designs that resemble filigree tracery.theboxesareinvarioussizes,withaboxwithdimensionsof25cmx11cmx8cmtaking10–15daystomake.simplenecklacestrings,oftenwithcolouredbeadsinterspersedwiththepolished(andsometimesetched)piecesofbonearestrungtogetherrelativelyquickly,withitbeingpossibletomakeuptotwodozeninaday.thesameistrueofbracelets andearrings,made interestingbycombiningdifferentshadeswithincamelbonetocreateatexturedeffect.Althoughthenecklacesandbraceletsarerelativelyinexpensive–costingaround25rupees–thelargerandmoredelicatelycarveditemslikeboxesand lamp bases cost a substantial amount, going into [several]thousandrupees–notmuchmoneywhenoneseestheastonishingskillwithwhich theyhavebeencreated, and the time-consumingnatureoftheprocess.
extracts from an interview conducted by Ligi George with MrMushtaqAhmad,wholearnt thecraftofcamelbonecarvingfromMrAbdulKhalib,arenownedcarver:
What is the process of camel bone carving?“Camel bone is first cleaned with hydroxyl to remove impuritiesattached to thebone. It iscut to thedesireddimensionsand thenplaced in boiledwaterwithSang Murmur (marble chips) powderovernighttoremoveanyresidualimpurities.thepowderisavailableinthemarketatRs.6–8perkg.theboilingprocessisrepeatedasafinalsteptoachievethedesiredwhitecolour.thestrengthofthewhitenessdependsupontheboilingofthebone.Itisalsowashedwithhydroxylandwater,afterwhichitispolished.theboneisnowready to be carved.the design is first drawn on paper and thentransferredontothepreparedbonesurface.thesedesignsvaryfromfloraandfaunatohuntingscenesandprocessions.tomakealamp,100piecesofboneareused.Particularly,thekneeboneofthecamelisusedforallpurposes.”
Where do you buy the bone?“BoneisboughtfromanabattoiratRs.7–8perkg.“
What is your current market?“the artisanshave to travel to urban fairs andmarkets tomake asustainedlivelihoodasthereisnolocaldemandfortheirproducts.the price of the finished product, like a lamp costing Rs.10,000to 15,000, is due to theworkmanship.Village people don’t haveenoughmoney and they can easily get productsmade of plasticwhicharecheap.”
Nowadays hair clips and necklaces are the most popular items. This craft has received a great deal of attention from abroad. But, as there is a diminishing market, the knowledge is not being taught to the younger generation.
theeditorwouldliketothanktheauthorandtheCraftRevivaltrustfortheirkindpermissiontoreprint(withabridgement)thisarticleandrelated interview.Formoredetailson thetrustand theiractivitiesvisitwww.craftrevivaltrust.org
9
those that came to this year’s Crafts Bazaar
heldinJulyduringtheRainforestWorldMusic
Festival had a great time browsing around.
therewere36 stallsdivided in three sections
and two separate pondoks (stalls) where we
hadourIndonesiantraders.theDarmaWanita
Persatuan, who came under auspices of the
Indonesian Consulate General, were selling
beautiful ribbon embroidery made by a lady
fromBandungwhomwehadmetinDecember
during our Indonesia tripwithDeGayantina.
they had brooches, handbags, linen, crochet
tablecloths,batikscarves,batik sarongs–nice
goodsfromBandung,Jakarta,andhandcrafted
wire art jewellery from Palangkaraya, Central
Kalimantan. the group from singkawang
(West Kalimantan) had beautiful jars and a
potterwhodemonstratedhow tomakebowls
accompanied them. the public could try to
maketheirownpotterytooandthiswasabig
hit.Isawlotsofpeopletryingitandtakingtheir
potbackwiththemcarefullywrappedtokeep
itfrombreaking,sinceitwasmodelledclayand
notyetfired.
WhilewewerevisitingtheWomen’sBureausectiontherewerefriendlyladiesfrom
Kuala Lumpur selling Indian kurtas, bracelets andmost people’s favourite: leather
sandals.ReitaRahim,averyinterestingladysellingindigenouscraftfromtheorang
AsligroupfromWestMalaysiahadbeautifulpiecesmadefromnaturalmaterial,and
theprofit fromall the items thataresoldgoes100%back to thecraftspeople that
makethem.Allitemshadalabelwithadescriptionofthepieceandoftheperson
whomadeit.shehadinterestingpuzzlesandI’mstillpuzzlingouthowtheywork,but
thereisavideoonYoutubethatshowshowtodoit.
Wehadwoodcarvers,nabilaourpotteryladywhomakesourfamousMidindesign
that DeGayantina andAnnWong are putting in to beautiful jewellery, and each
pieceisauniquepiece.ourCrafthubstallwasalsosellingt-shirtsmadebyourtwo
studentdesigners,winnersofthisyear’scompetition.thoset-shirtsweresellinglike
hotcakes.Beautifulshoppingbagswerealsoverypopular.Wehadasongketweaver
fromterengganuandtheQueenofMalaysiaisagreatsupporterofthisproject.this
washighlightedinourlastCRAFtsmagazine.KamaldeepfromIndiawassellingtie-
dye scarves andwe had different artisans from sarawak Craft Council with beads
fromLongtuma,bamboopieces,handbags frombembanandpuamaterial, lovely
orangutansmadefromcoconutandtoomuchtomention.
ItisaparadiseforcraftshopperswalkingaroundtheCraftsBazaarandwehopeto
welcomeyounextyear.Whynotbrowseforyourself,pickupyourpresentsforyour
lovedonesoramemorablegiftforyourself?
ByCynthiaLobato
10
Weaver from Yayasan tuanku
nur Zahirah concentra
tes on her
intricatesilksongket
JauMinLimwith
happyyoungpotters
DatukngYenYen,FederalMinisteroftourism,withanexquisitepieceofRoyalterengganusongket
singkawangHandicraftsrepresentingRWCB’sgreatsupporter,Indonesia
KamuArun
(l) and suut
Kurus(r),ski
lledbarkclot
h
artisansatRW
CBwith the
supportofthe
sCC
L-R:DatinGramong,DatukGramong,DrtansriGeorge,YBhgDatosriempiangJabuandMrs.oriza Rafail of DharmaWanita, Indonesian Consulate are enchanted by the ribbonembroideryofBandung,IndonesiasupportedbyDharmawanita
the crowdsdescend
on Kuching townsfolk
openDay
Dr tan sri George and Datuk
Gramong Juna, Chairman of sCC
admirethebeadwork.
YBhgDatosriempiangJabuandJunengosiokKhengperusetheRoyalterengganusongketdesignbookwhilein the background others take in the batik work ofsingakawangHandicrafts,Indonesia
DrtansriGeorge,sportingsilkscarfbyKamaldeepKaurofIndia,isbedazzledbythebeadsonshowthroughthesupportofBiroWanita.
CustomersimsuanChiokadmiresthisyear’sRWCBt-shirts
AllphotosarebyMaridontreks© 11
IfirstmetMohamadHakimBBUsrah(akaHatdji) nearly two years agowhen Iwaspassingthroughthefoodcourtadjacenttotamansrisarawaklateonesaturdaynight.He shouted over from his burger stall inamostpassableCockneyaccent,“Alrightmate!”Iwentoverandhethenproceededtoconversein‘Clockworkorange’speak,addressingmeashis“bestbeloveddroog”.
overthecomingmonths,IoftendroppedbyonmywayhomefromworktohaveachataboutenglishandMalaysianculture,but then he was gone, another droogmannedthestall.
A few months went by and I enquiredabout his whereabouts.the guy runningthe stall was a friend whom Hatdji had
passedthebusinesstobecausehehaddecidedtotaketheplungeandfocusonhisrecycledbag-makingenterprise.WhenIeventuallycaughtupwithhiminearly2010(he’sadifficultmantofind)Iaskedhimwhy?
Apparently, theideahadcometohimwaybackin2004whenhewasclearinghisroomofmanypairsofaccumulatedjeans–those
with holes, those washed one too many times, those that werefavouritesbutpractically fallingapart.thereweresomanyandhedidn’twanttowastethem.Amanoffashion,butconcernedabouttheenvironmentandpollution,hedecidedtherehadtobeabetterway,awaytocombinefashionandecology.Hecameupwiththeideaofusinghisoldjeanstomakeafewuniquebagsforhimself.When others (especially teens) saw various one-off bags swingingfrom his shoulder, they wanted him to make bags for them too.However,hereadilyadmitsthathisearlyattemptsatsewingweren’tthatgreattosaytheleast,buthepractisedeverydayandeventuallymademore.In2009,hisownsourceofoldjeansusedup,withtheencouragement of friends he acquired reject jeans, second-handbundles, tomake unique recycled, embroidered and embellishedjeansbagsforthem,similartotheonesinthephotoshere.
BEST BELOVED BAGS ByRayCooper
Inearly2010,hefoundhewasgettingmoreandmoreordersfromcollegeanduniversitystudentssothetimewasrighttomakeago
of it full-time (with the security ofknowinghisfriendwaskeepingtheback-upburgerbusinessgoing).
Hismindcontinuallyatworktofindnew ways to recycle, he not onlyusesold jeans tomakehis one-offcreations. seeing themountains ofemptycansinbagsinthefoodcourt,another environmentally friendlyidea dawned – ring-pulls as chainmail–andtheveryeffectiveresultsof the time-consuming sowing ofring-pull‘sequins’canbeseenhere.
Hatdjiisacreativedroogbutadifficultmantofind–hehasneitherstallnorshop.soifyouwouldliketogetyourhandsonauniquerecycledbag,givehimacallon0128997489or0168655828oremailhatdjigotzoo@yahoo.comandhelpsaveourbelovedplanet.
Photo provided by Miri Photographic Society © . Photo is solely used for the purpose of this advertisement.
Welcome to BIBCo Participants
Resort City, Miri
12
sujin anak Kudang is a talented Ibanwoodcarver fromsungaiPinang,simunjan.Afterservingformanyyearsasapoliceman in thestatehehas retiredandnowlives inMatang,justoutsideofKuching.Herehespendshistimeworkingathiscraft.
sujin was drawn to wood carving in his twenties. Hereceivednotuitioninhischosencraftbutthroughpatienceandadesiretocreatehastaughthimselftheskillsneededto enablehim toproducebeautifully carved shields andscabbardsforparang(largeknife).HedecoratesthesewithIbanmotifs,whichspreadacrossthewoodtomakeeachpiecedifferentfromthelast.
CUSTOMIZED PARANGS ByAnnetteBessant
sujinakKadang
sujinfeelsnoneedtocopyotherdesignsashisinspirationfor new designs flows freely. He first uses a parang toshapetheshieldorscabbardfromthecommonpelaiwood(Alstonia spp),asoftwoodreadilyavailablehere.Hedrawshisdesigninpencilandthen,usingthekniveshehasmadeespeciallyforthejob,hecarvesoutthedesign.thewholeprocesstakeshimaboutaweek.thefinishedobjecthemayvarnishorpaintaccordingtothedesiresofhiscustomers.
Amongst his collection, sujin has parang he has madefromscratch,includingthebladecompletewithbrassinlayanddecoratedsteel.Apparentlyinhead-huntingdaysthenumberofbrassinlaiddotsdenotedwhetherawarriorwasstilllookingforheadsornot.Fourdotsindicatedenough.nowthedotsarepurelydecorative,thenumberdependsonthelengthoftheblade.Withoutthefacilitiesavailable
sectionofashield
athome,sujinisnolongerabletoforgehisownblades.Heusesonesgiventohimandthenfashionsascabbardtofitthem.
Astringdrawnthroughtwoholesinthetopofthescabbardsecuresthebladeagainstaccidentallyslippingout.Anothersafetydetailistheadditionofinlaidstringinthehandletogiveabettergrip.thesedetailsarewaystorecognizesujin’swork,although thequalityofhiscarvingalonealready identifiesan
Handmadebladewithbrassinlayanddecoratedsteel
toolswhichsujinmadetocarvehisdesigns
object as his. Customers hear of sujinfromfriends;hisworkismuchadmiredbycollectorslocally,inWestMalaysia,andasfarawayastheUnitedKingdom.
Althoughhechoosestocarveshieldsandparangs at home, sujin has experiencewithfurnitureandhasrecentlycompleteda gong table for a community centre.Another sampleof hiswork canbe seenatthetimberMuseuminPetraJayawherehispiecewasawardedsecondplaceinawood-carvingcompetition.
this soft-spokenmanwith a ready smileandwealthofknowledgeisaninspirationto anyone on what is possible with apositive attitude and, of course, thenecessarypatience.
Inlaidstringonparanghandle
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A Page of History
The Art of AnyiF.Manis,MuseumAssistant,writinginthesarawakMuseumJournalVol.Vno.1(newseries),Kuching1949:
Anyiisacraftsmanandoftenincidentally–sometimespurposely–an‘artist.’
HeisaKelabitfromthemountainvillageofPaBengarintheheadwatersoftheBaramRiver,whereheisheadman.Hehastravelledextensivelyandlearnedtospeakanumberofother languages, includingMalay, Ienya,Kayanandsaban.Whenadult,hetaughthimselftowrite,andwasthesecondKelabittodoso.Inearly1945hebecamea leaderofguerrilla resistanceagainst the Japanese. In1948hecamewiththeCuratoroftheMuseum[tomHarrisson]toKuching,whereheaddedtotheaccomplishmentoffirst-classshotandfinedanceraremarkablefacility for bicycle riding, and the post of instructor inmetalcrafts at theBatuLintangteachers’trainingCentre.Buthisnativeuplandssooncalledhimback.
thefirsttimeAnyieverremembersmakingadrawingwaswhenapreviouscurator,Dr.Mjöberg,visitedthehighlands.Anyiwasthenabouttenyearsold,andwassoexcitedbytherarespectacleofawhitemanthathemadeadrawingofthevisitoronthewallofthelonghouse,usingcharcoalandsootfromthekitchenfire.Whilehelpinghisparentsguardthericefieldsagainstbirds,hewouldcarvepatternsinbamboo,orscrapedesignsinthefloorofthefarmhut.Heevencarveddesignsinripecucumbers.
Hecarvedhisfirstsword(parang)handlewhensixteen,fromthehornofadeer,thenmadeasheathofwoodboundwithrattan.
AsAnyigrewhisrangeextended;whenhewasabouttwentyhewascommissionedtocarvethedesignsonastonecommemoratingthedeathofa famousKelabitchief,tamatinggang.thiscombinesformaldesignswithrepresentativepicturesofthechief,abuffalo,ajarandothervaluableobjects.
Anyi visited theBahauRiver inDutchBorneo,where hewatched theKenyasmakingswordswithdesignscutnotonlyintosheathandhandle,butalsointothemetaloftheblade.Hequicklylearnedthistechnique;heisoneofthefewmeninsarawakwhocandosuchworknow.
When travelling fromPaBengar toKuching,a journeywhich tookfiveweeks,Anyispentanysparetime–whentherewasabreakinthemarch,oralull inpaddling–bycarvingdelicatepatternsinthecasqueofahornbill.Heproducedapairofexquisiteearringswhichheiswearingintheillustration,togetherwithahatmadeoftheskinofaCloudedLeopard.
The Sarawak Museum Journal has a distinguished history going back to 1911. For almost 100 years it has been the outstanding vehicle for collecting and publishing material about anything and everything pertaining to Sarawak, and Borneo: ethnography, history, zoology, archaeology, botany, folklore. The extract above is published with kind permission of the Director, Sarawak Museum.
Anyiwearinghisleopardskinhat
ApairofhornbillivoryearringscarvedbyAnyi
1–3 OctobertheHobbyshow,PalazzodeiCongressi,Rome,ItalyA paradise for lovers of arts and crafts. A wide range ofexhibitors, frommanufacturingcompanies toart institutions,inspirevisitorswith fresh ideas.theHobbyshow’s labsandworkshops are set up by experts to give guidance on [email protected]
8 and 9 October‘Crafting a nation’ is a conference organized by Craft inAmerica and theCraft Retailers andArtists fortomorrow incollaborationwiththesmithsonianAmericanArtMuseumanditsRenwickGallerytobeheldatthesmithsonianAmericanArtMuseuminWashington,DC,UsA.www.americancraftweek.com/craftinganation
October and NovemberVitacuraBicentenaryPark,santiago,ChileMore than150 artisans fromcountries across LatinAmericadisplay their handiwork at the International Display oftraditionalArts&Crafts.shopperscanalsolunchonregionalspecialitiesandenjoylivelyChileanfolkloremusic.
4–7 NovemberHamburgFairgrounds,HamburgnY,UsAConsistentlyjudgedoneofthetopcraftfairsintheUsA,theFairbringstogether400artisansfrom27states(plusCanada)whopresenttheirgoodstoabout50,000visitors.www.wnypremierpromotions.com
– November 13‘Rugs: Recycle and Re-envision’isanexhibitionattheCraft inAmericastudyCentre,Los Angeles, California, UsA,featuringrugsandtextilesmadeof salvaged strips of clothingandsheetssewnandwoventoform bold, vivid patterns withlively geometry. Ruth Katzenstein souza forms remarkablepatterns with her rugs, each of which has a very [email protected]
1–5 DecembernationalCraftsandDesignFair,Royal Dublin society, Dublin, eire. stock up on Christmaspresents fromaround450 artists, designers and craftspeoplefrom all over the country. everything from silk work andceramicstocandlesandchocolate.www.nationalcraftsfair.ie
Ifyouwouldliketoseeyourlocalorinternationalcrafteventappearhere,free,[email protected]
what’s on... in the world of craftsKUCHING WEEKLY CRAFT MARTeveryFriday–sundayattheWaterfront
MIRI PERMANENT CRAFT MART attheHandicraftCentre,BrookeRoad
ARoUnDtHeWoRLD
this time I thought I’d see what the sarawak Craft Council isselling,sincethisisoneoftheplaceswhereyoucanbuybeadsand other souvenirsmade in sarawak. For thosewho have noclueaboutwherethisplaceis,gototheoldCourthouseattheWaterfrontinKuchingandlookforafortress-likebuildingcalledtheRoundtower[foropeningtimes,seebottomofpage3(ed.)].ItisacrosstheroadfromtheGeneralPostoffice,andnexttothetextileMuseum.
oneofmy favourite items to collect is sunhats decoratedwithbeads.Manyhats aremadeby theorangUlu (Kayan,Kenyah)ladieslivingattheupperBaraminthelonghousesthere.thehatsaredifferentpricesdependingonthedesigns.
other interesting collectors’ itemsare baby carriers with really pretty,colourful decorations. Key chains,telephone cases, wallets, vases,boxes and coasters are popularsmall souvenirs. tourists browseamong necklaces made from clay orglass beads; clay beadmaking is aninterestingnewcottageindustryintheeastofsarawak.
You can also find belts made frombeads.Worth looking for are the oldtraditional beads, and the replicaswhicharealsosoldintheMainBazaar.theheadgearmade fromnewbeads,butwhichlookexactlyliketraditionalones,arealotmoreaffordable!
If youhappen to be inMiri, visit theHandicraftCentrewhereyoucanalsofind beautiful pieces and other nicesouvenirsmadebylocalladies.
where to buy beaded crafts…withCynthiaLobato
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The inaugural...Parkcity Everly Hotel, Miri, SarawakIfyouareinterestedinbeadsandbeadculture,youjustcan’taffordmisstheinauguralBIBCo.Presentations,workshops,[email protected]
