Perak's Traditional Handicrafts

The State of Perak in Malaysia is known as the "Silver State" as it was once rich in tin, which has a silvery sheen. Today, the State is more renowned for its traditional handicrafts rather than the vestiges of its tin-mining industry. The villages of Enggor, Kampung Berala, Kampong Padang Changkat, Sayong and Kampong Kepala Bendang are among the main centres for handicrafts production, especially the famous labu sayong, anyaman tikar and tekat.
Labu sayong is a generic name for water pitchers produced in the village of Sayong, just outside Kuala Kangsar. Shiny and black, these gourd-shaped bottles have variations in form. A labu tanah is based after the bottle gourd, while a labu pucung has a long cylindrical neck similar to that of a heron's that is commonly found in paddy fields. The labu gelugor takes its name from the assam gelugor which is a yellow-orange fluted citrus fruit that is used as seasoning in curries. This particular water pitcher has bulges around its body. The labu panai has ribs all round, either vertically or horizontally. Neolithic Age potshreds found in Lenggong, Perak indicate that the making of labu is an ancient art that has been refined through time.
The making of labu is predominantly the domain of womenfolk. The first step in making this type of water pitcher is the collection of clay from a river bank. In days of yore, a menstruating woman was disallowed to do this task or even be in the vicinity while the clay was being collected. The clay is dried in the sun, and a mortar and pestle worked by foot is used to pound it so that it is free of air pockets. It is then sieved to remove coarse materials, and shaped into a cylinder using a mould for easy handling.
The process of shaping the clay begins by coiling a cylindrical piece from end to end, forming a circle. The potter's wheel is then spun and the clay pinched with the thumb and forefinger so that it rises vertically. Skill and control are required to shape the body, neck and head. A bamboo spatula is used to shave off excess clay while a small, wooden paddle is used to shape and firm the body. Finally, a flat piece of clay attached to the body becomes its foot. The pitcher is now decorated with motifs and smoothened with pebbles. It is then placed inverted in a kiln. After firing for four hours, it is removed and buried in paddy chaff, which imparts a black sheen to it. A coat of resin is applied to its foot to make it waterproof.
Another popular traditional handicraft is the weaving of mats from pandan (pandanus) and mengkuang (screwpine) leaves. Mats woven from pandan are considered more superior to that woven from mengkuang as the former is more pliable. The leaves, either pandan or mengkuang, are prepared for weaving by cutting them at both ends. The spine and thorns are stripped from the leaves, which are then sorted into sets of equal lengths.
Sometimes, mengkuang leaves are lightly pounded with a club to soften them. They are then soaked in water for two days and dried in the shade. Once dry, the leaves are divided into two portions. One portion is meant to be used in its natural colour while the other is soaked in dye that has been boiled in water. Purple and dark blue are standard colours though more vibrant colours such as yellow and pink are also gaining popularity. After being immersed for one hour, the leaves are removed and allowed to dry. What follows is the smoothening of the leaves using a bamboo or wooden smoother.
The weaving process can now begin, and a variety of techniques is used to produce plaits of different patterns that are named after plants and animals such as bamboo shoot, durian flower, clove flower, flying fox's elbow, tiger's paw, cockroach's wing and sandpiper's claw. It takes about ten to fifteen days to complete a mat, depending on its size and the skill of the weaver. The weaving of pandan and mengkuang leaves not only produces mats but baskets, food covers, wallets, fans, boxes and hats - serving both functional and decorative purposes.
Unique to Perak, tekat is a Malay art form with a unique identity. It is a type of gold embroidery produced by stitching gold thread over card templates to create raised relief on velvet. Common colours of the velvet are green, blue and red. The contrast of gold over the velvet produces a delicate handiwork that is high in visual beauty. The motifs used are inspired by plants and flowers such as cempaka flower, jasmine and water-lettuce leaves. Spangles are also sometimes used to achieve special effects. Tekat pieces are traditionally used on pillow cases, cushion covers, betel nut boxes and slippers.
To keep with changing times, applications of tekat now include handbags, table cloth, decorative wall panels and prayer mats. In Perak weddings, the use of tekat is mandatory. Bukit Chandan, a village near Istana Iskandariah, the sultan's palace, is believed to the birthplace of tekat. In the olden days, mothers passed the techniques to their daughters who were required to create their own tekat pieces to be paraded at their weddings. Though machined tekat is now available, it is the hand-stitched designs that are highly treasured.
The Perak branch of the Handicraft Development Corporation, located at the 40th kilometre Ipoh-Enggor Road, is a one-stop centre for handicrafts of all kinds. At the Kuala Kangsar Market, sprawled on the bank of the Perak River, souvenir stalls offer exquisite labu sayong. At the Lumut jetty, tekat products and shellcraft items are popular buys from the stalls here.