Continuities of Surface Decoration and Motifs in the Malay Traditional Pottery of Semen an Jung Malaysia

8/3/2019 Continuities of Surface Decoration and Motifs in the Malay Traditional Pottery of Semen an Jung Malaysia

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F O T O S T A T TIOAK

Continuities of Surface Decoration and Motifs in the Malay TraditionalPottery of Semenanjung Malaysia.

BY:

WAHIZA BINTI ABDUL WAHID

This dissertation is to be submitted to the :

DEPARTMENT OF ART AND ARCHAEOLOGYSCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES

UNIVERSITY OF LONDONBRUNEI BUILDING, THORNHAUGH STREETL ONDON WC1H OXG. UK .

SUPERVISED B Y :DR. ELIZABETH MOORE

Bahagian R u j u ! an & P e r k h i ' m a t a n PcmbgJ P e r F u s r a ! : a 3 r . T u n Abdu! FUzak

Insti u t ' U k f o l o g i MARA40450 i'bah Alam

Sclangor Darul Ehaao.


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ABSTRACT 1ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 3CHAPTER 1 A Brief History of Semenanjung Malaysia 5 The D efinition ofMotif and Decoration 9 History oftheEarly Malay Traditional Decoration 11CHAPTER 2 The Concept and Aesthetic value of Traditional M a la y C r a f t 14 The Concept of Traditional Art (Creation) 19 History andDiscoveries of Pottery inSemenanjung Malaysia 20CHAPTER 3 Forms andUtilitarian Functions of Pottery inSemenanjung 30 Utilitarian Function 37 Classification of F o r m 39 Surface Decorations an d M o t i f s 40 Principle of Decoration onPottery in Semenanjung 48

Geometrical motifs 50 Organic form 50 C o m b i n a t i o n of geometrical andorganic f o r m s 51 Islamic Cosmology and motifs in the Traditional M a l a y art 51

Process of Production - Traditional Malay Pottery 59CHAPTER 4 The Future Ceramics inMalaysia andtheir potential 60 Towards the Challenge and Development of Pottery in Semenanjung Malaysia 65 Conclusion 69GLOSSARY 72BIBLIOGRAPHY 76


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A b s t r a c t

T h e purpose of this dissertation is to observe the surface decoration and m o t i f s f o u n d onthe pottery of Semenanjung Malaysia. By observing the history of m o t i f s and surface decoration, wemay indirectly discover w h e n they began to be used, especially on pottery in Semenanjung. W eshould also consider the possibilities of outside i n f l u e n c e s on this pottery in order to understandwhere the m o t i f s derive f r o m .

M a l a y Traditional pottery can be categorised as 'earthenware'. The creation of this potteryhas its own identity and value that r e f l e c t the f o r m and soul of M a l a y culture. Especially m o t i f sbased on nature that are used w i d e l y inSemenanjung may be related to appreciation of nature.

There are also possibilities that the designs and m o t i f s f o u n d are i n f l u e n c e d by Islamiccountries, such as Persia. T h i s probably occurred through religious and cultural exchanges broughtby M u s li m traders. T h i s is demonstrated by the f a c t that these m o t i f s are in use extensively not onlyon pottery, but also in other traditional c r a f t s , such as w e a v i n g and carving.

The aesthetic value of the M a la y c o m m u n i t y comes f r o m inner feelings. Nevertheless,physical sensation and ideas are also i m p o r t a n t for the assessment of aesthetics in the c o m m u n i t y .There are three d i f f e r e n t characteristics that i n fl u e n c e M a la y community in assessing the aestheticvalue of an art object. T h e y are; gentieness, u n i t y and originality. The coming of Islam enhanced


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Abstract 2

pre-existing other Malay values such as ethics, functionality and simplicity. Islam encourageseveryone to value the aesthetic of an object in relation to aft these aspects. Nevertheless, (slamforbids representation of human figures in art To this factor, the Matey artists and craftsmen inSemenanjung are continuously creating and using geometrical and organic motifs in their work ofart

In this dissertation, I shall study andbring forward the motifs commonly applied on thepottery works especially in Semenanjung. Ishaft also try to look at the possibilities of outsideinfluences. Most of the terms to be used in this dissertation would be in Bahasa Melayu (BahasaMalaysia) and willbe clarified in the glossaries.


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Acknowledgements

FLCbQCTOTJ

The substance for this paper is originally to be submitted to the Department of Art andArchaeology, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, as a dissertation for theM.A. Programme.

Rrst and foremost, I wish to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to my academicsupervisor, Professor D r. Elizabeth Moore. Without her guidance, opinion and criticism, I could nothave completed my dissertation. My special thanks are also due to Professor D r. Othman Mohd.Yatim, the Director of Museum of Asian Art, U niversity of Malays, Malaysia for his strongencouragement and advice and who assisted me with information in various ways. Professor Dr.Othman Mohd. Yatim too had permitted and recommended me to gather information and to doresearches at the Museum of Taiping, Perak, during my one month Easter vacation in Malaysia.(March-April 1997).

A number of lecturers in the Mara Institute of Technology, Shah Alam, Selangor DarulEhsan, Malaysia too need my appreciation. Among them are Puan Jahani Ali, Professor Madya HamRabeah Kamarun, and Puan Faridah Mohd. Yusoff, who were kind enough to give me support andopinion all along completing my M.A. in S O A S . Also, to Professor Madya Ungku Maimunah Mohd.Tahir, from University Kebangsaan Malaysia, who had been in S O A S on sabaticaland


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Acknowledgements

Mr. Dinar Boontharm, my classmate who had kindly helped me building up my spirit and enthusiasmon completing my dissertation.

Formally, I wish to acknowledge the scholarship granted to me by Mara Institute ofTechnology, under the Young Lecturer Scheme (1996 -1997) , without which, I would probably nothave been able to attempt this study.

Last, but not least, not forgetting to acknowledge the very loving support of my mom,Madam Hajah Maznah Abdul Manaf, sister, Wahida, Zonariah and Kartini, brothers Mazlan, Mohd.Taha and Ruslan, who helped me keeping up my enthusiasm and showed their concern andunderstanding, my niece, Nur Nadia Idlani and nephews, Nadzrin Azrai, Muhd. Zhafirin andMuhammad Amir, who are a continual source of inspiration.

48,KENSINGTON AVENUE,MANOR PARK,LONDON El 26NP6 SEPTEMBER 97

m.n c


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Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

A Brief History of Semenanjung Malaysia

It remains a question as to how he Proto Malay race became the civilised people who nowpopulate the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and other islands. Generally, historians presume thatintermarriage with other tribes in the islands of the Archipelago, and later with Indians and Arabscould have occurred among the immigrants from the mainland of Asia. Another question is theorigin of the name 'Malaysia' first known as 'Malaya*. This is an English hybrid dating only to Britishownership and protectorates, particularly to the Peninsula (Semenanjung) ,thus the term BritishMalaya is redundant.1 The Malay name for the 'Malay Peninsula' is Semenanjung and the people isknown as 'Melayu'.

It is uncertain of where the word 'Malay* comes from. The implication of the term Malay, ismore particularly to the 'civilised* Malays of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula in a broader sense, itrefers to almost all the residents of the Malay Archipelago, Formosa and the Philippines ;and someof the tribes of Indo China. The word 'Malay* as a noun in applied to indicate persons or1 Its Area, Boundaries and Divisions, Physical Features and Scenery in Malaya - In the Straits Settlementsand the Federated and Unfederated M alay States. R.O. Winstedt. 1923. Pg. 1


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Chapter 1

language. The European invented the word 'Malaya* for the Peninsula. The term Malayan, thereforemay refer to any inhabitant of that Peninsula (Semenanjung), be they Asian or European.2

Under the British rule, the Malay Peninsula was divided into : the Straits Settlements, whichconsist of the Singapore island , Pulau Pinang with Province Wdiesley and the Dindings and theSettlement of Malacca; the Federated Malay States - Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Pahangand ; the Unfederated Malay States - lohore, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu. The MalayPeninsula, or Semenanjung Malaysia, ( FIG. 1.0) may be described as an area of low lying land,stretching north west and south west, with ranges of mountain, lying approximately to the axis. Ofthe many rivers that drain the Peninsula, the chief ones are the Perak, Pahang and Kelantan.Pahang has the largest river, followed by Kelantan and Perak.

Semenanjung Malaysia is situated on the equator line, along the Straits of Malacca and hasbeen a natural rendezvous for merchants from India, West Asia and China for thousands of years.Its warm and moist dimate with the temperature of 27 C makes it suitable for agriculture purposes.In the past, a large proportion of old Malays had made farming as their source of living. Againstthese backgrounds, the Malay community's appreciation towards agriculture and sensitivity to theenvironment becomes apparent.

The Malays - A Cultural History. RichardO W indstedt. 1947. Pg, 1 -4.


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Chapter 1

FIG-1-0 SEMENANJUNG M A L A Y S I AStates

SelangorlohorNegeri SembilanMelakaPahang

PerakK e l a n t a nTerengganuKedahPulau Pinang

Perils

T o w nKuala LumpurJohor Baru

SerembanMelakaKuantantpohKota Bharu

Kuala TerengganuAlor SetarGeorge T o w n

Kangar


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C h a p t e r 1 8

A s ancient Malay kingdoms such as Langkasuka, Kataha and, much later, Malacca flourished, allkinds of cultural influences began to colour local culture. The artistry of India,China Persia, Arabia,Indonesia and Europe blended with and w as absorbed into existing traditional Malay motifs. Thiscross-cultural fertilisation enriched the local craft tradition and gave birth to crafts with a uniquelyMalaysian identity.

Another factor which makes the Malay community aware of flora and fauna as subjectmatter in their art, religion. With the coming of Islam to the Malay Archipelago in the 12 th century,there was a huge transition in Malay civilisation. For more than five hundred years, therefore Islamhas been integrated into Malay culture. In theory, the Malay person has no ideals of truth, beautyor goodness outside the tenets of his faith, in fact, those ideals are imbued with many earlierbeliefs and additionally have been altered by the secular humanism of the W e s t3

Before the 13 th century, the Malays practised animism. After the coming of Islam, theybegan a new ife with many changes in their beliefs too,changed. According to a theory of historian,S.Q Fatini:

The early relationship between this settlement or inlet and Persian Arab occurred since the8th century but the islamicisation started during the 13 th century, after the coming of the experts ormystics. Therefore, Islam influenced the art form of Malay society at that period. Islam

3 The Malays - A Cultural History. Richard O . W indstedt. 1947, Pg 2.


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Chapter 1 9

forbids the use of presentation or realism. What is allowed is only stylisation of objects, the mainmotifs in Islamic art, that is geometrical in shapes and motifs of flora and fauna. Traditional Malaysociety started using these motifs for their decorations principally, but not exclusively for religiousreasons. Nonetheless, over time, the use of geometrical and floral motifs were seen as an intricalpart of the philosophy and beliefs practised by the traditional Malay society in SemenanjungM alaysia.

The D efinition of Motif and Decoration

A ' mot i f ' , as it is used in the dissertation is an image use to form a decoration and tocomplete the surface decoration of craft work. A motif is derived from the aesthetic values whichdefine the creation of a' beautiful' form: Motifs make up a composition which will create a patternand act as a tool to arrange the forms that come from the feelings, thoughts and ideas of an artistor creator.

Dr. Siti Zainon Ismail refers to Ruskin in this regard (1860):' Gubahan yang balk biasanya didahulukan oleh maksud perasaan yang secara teknik disebut motifdi mana semu garis dan bentuk-bentuk lain (unsurtampak) sating berhubung, wujud seiring denganproses rekabentuk. * 4

4Dr. Siti Zainon Ismail in Rekabentuk Kraftangan Melayu Tradisi . 1986. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.Kuala Lumpur. Pg. 9 - "A good composition is normally preceded by feelings and is composed of motifswhere all lines, and forms exist within the design process."


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Chapter 1 10

From the above statement, it is dear that the arrangement of motifs produces patterns. Amotif is created in the design process of an object. Pattern may be seen as a whole, within whichmotif is a central theme. Therefor, both motif and pattern function as ornamentation.

In addition to defining motif, ft is necessary to explain, what is meant by decoration.Decoration is used to ornament craft work. D ecoration adds to the beauty of the external form ofan object. Decoration is determined by the arrangement of motifs and patterns. The blending ofmotifs and patterns is vital in creating decorations. The act of creating decoration comes fromone's desire to ornament, following his or her visual preferences. The form of decoration ,particularly in craft, derives from certain values. This include both cultural and beliefs of the creator.

It is not easy to describe the meaning of a certain decoration for the same form may havedissimilar meanings. For example, a form of decoration used by Arabs and one used by Indiansmay have similar forms but different concept. Decoration often has similar forms found amongmany different races but significance varies in terms of time and space.

This is further explained by Adolf Bastian (1826 - 1905) in his theory, known asElementatgedan, as referred by Dr. S f t i Zainon Ismail:


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Ch a p t e r 1 1 1

' Perkara ini tidak dapat dianggap sebagai pengarah resapan kebudayaan tetapi, pada dasamyajiwa manusia di mana-mana adalah sama dan oleh sebab ftu selalu menimbulkan lagi fikiran-fikiranyang sama. Perkembangan daya fikir boleh beriaku serentak oleh keadaan kdiling dan unsur alam.'5

There are three basic aspects in creating a motif. Through the arrangement of visualdements, motifs produce composition which, in traditional Malay craft are known as patterns. Thedevelopment of motif starts from the elements, such as dots, lines and colours. Motif has longbeen a part of Semenanjung culture with clear motifs found on works of the pre historic period.One of these are dots, a very basic visual element, which was further develop as horizontal orvertical lines, curve, knots and alternating designs which combine these components.

History of the early Malay Traditional Decoration

To understand the meaning of decoration, one should also be aware of the meaning, interms of function and cultural history. Through the aesthetic observation, decoration often involvenot only in beautifying the forms, but is also related to individual role, communities and nature. Thebeliefs practised by certain communities also play important role.

5 Dr . Siti Zainon Ismail in Rekabentuk Kraf iangan Melayu Tradiss . 1986. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.Kuala Lumpur. Pg 10. " This matter could not be considered as cultural influence but basically human'ssoul is similar and due to this, the same thoughts and ideas existed The capability of developing ideasand creativity happen at the same time with the influence of environment and elements."


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Chapter 1 12

According to Professor Dr. S f t i Zainon Ismai l , ' The early history proved that the conceptand understanding of art is not just to fulfil the desire or simply creating anything. It is a kind ofspirit which develops confidence.6

The early history of Malay decoration is first traced, based on the civilisation and the skill ofpreparing foods. This is accepted to be the basic source of Malay civilisation, known as the EarlyStone Age (2000 - 1500 B.C.) which brought meaning in the aspect of knowledge and human'sexperience. Somewhere between 8000 - 2000 B.C, there were excavations of artefacts or culturalequipment. This is believed to have come from the first wave. As an example, in SemenanjungMalaysia, the characteristic of culture in Neolithic period could be seen with the excavation ofbangles, rings, ceramic wares and others.

The existing decorations and patterns showed variations of motifs which relate to theculture of certain communities that pertains to beliefs and spirit. They used materials andharmonised between form and function.

Subject matters attained from nature or flora and fauna are not only formed as plates, butthey were also made as ingredients, colours with the accuracy of symbol in customs and traditions.Some basic motifs, particularly in geometrical forms still develop up till now. The main symbol that

6 Dr . Siti Zainon Ismail, in Percikan Sent, 1986.Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. K uala Lumpur. Pg. 201.


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Chapter 1 13

developed since the 10th century and traditionally belonged to the Malays were the surfacedecoration on pottery, weaving and carving.

The creation of decorating techniques appeared during the Funan Empire (Cambodian / OldKhmer) which induded three main regions. They are : Mekong Valley, Annam area (Vietnam) andKelang Valley. It is believed that the Malays were originated from the Funan and conquered most ofthe area in Mekong Valley and Menam in Thailand. The flowing of culture has been proved with thedevelopment of decoration in the province of Malay Archipelago. Here, the external motifs becamemotifs with local characteristics, unique and genuine.

Laurens Langeiwis had rejected the idea made by Heine Gddem in his research onIndonesian Textile. According to Heine Gddem, the effect of Don Son in the craft of MalayArchipelago is an imported art. Laurens Langewis stressed that Indonesian craftsmen have beenusing a systematic Neolithic motifs in their works.7

In studying the development of the Malay society and civilisation, pottery could be regardedas a beautiful creation of art, unique and symbolic The raditional Malay ceramic could be regardedas functional and decorative items. This traditional ceramic or pottery is produced from clay, that is,a source found in large quantities, in Sayong, Perak.

7 Dr. Siti Zainon Ismail in Percikan Sent, 1986. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. Kuala Lumpur. Pg. 206.


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14C h a p t e r 2

The Concept and Aesthetic value of the Traditional Malay Craft.

In defining "aesthetic value", the dictionary 'Dewan 'interprets it as beauty or a matterwhich describes something which is beautiful. 'Beautiful* itself means charming, lovely, pretty, orattractive. The beauty of an object depends on its perfection which is seen from its appearancefrom the view point of the observer. External beauty which is seen at a glance can normally beexperienced by children and but internal beauty can only be observed and examined by adultsthrough their mature inner feelings.Syed Ahmad Jamal cites Kant in defining:" K e i n d a h a n k e s e n i a n itu b u k a n pada s e s u a t u b e n d a s e c a r a h a k i k i i n d a h , tetapi pad a apa yangt e r j e l m a d a r i p a d a p e n t a f s i r a n t e r h a d a p b e n d a i tu. In i b e r m a k n a b a h a w a konsep e s t e t ik a d a n k a r y asen/ itu suatu keadaan yang t idak sem est inya m ewakil i ke indahan sepenuhnya, sungg uhp un h a l in ta d a h u b u n g a n d e n g a n n y a . "The above statement means:"Art is not something which is beautiful in reality but it appears from the interpretation of an object.This means, the aesthetic concept and an art creation is a condition which is not necessarily


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15Chapter 2representing beauty as a whole, even though it relates to the whole."1

In terms of psychology, beauty is seen as something which is experienced by the fivesenses, especially the sense of feeling. As an example, the desire for food or morality is to fulfilcertain needs. However, the beauty which comes from the sense of feeling provides a satisfactionwhich is not necessary for physical survival. In a cultural context, however, it fulfils the aestheticneeds of the individuals in a society.

Art has a dose relation with culture. One of the cultural elements which prompts theproduction of art is religion. Traditional customs and also language too influence the art of asociety. The art forms which result stimulate humans to react, and in this way, help to develop newand different feelings.

Every culture has its own way in expressing the subject matters and elements of art.Besides holding on to its traditional value, it also has to accept some factors, such as transition,following the period revolution. Other needs run parallel and increase according to the inventor'scapability and user's demand.

In the art of pottery, the characteristics that withstand the aesthetic value are well-

1 Syed Ahmad Jamal, Rupa Dan Jiwa, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 1992, Pg 5


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16Chapter 2equipped by aspects such as proportion, relationship with the complexity of contour and others.Each characteristic plays its own role in the fulfilment of form, parallel to the cultural taste of thecreator. For example, the emphasis towards proportion will reflect the style that represents acertain culture. Therefore, a total and precise research is important to understand or obtain thestyle which could offer some steps or methods for further researches.

In the Malay community, the assessment of beauty normally includes the sense of feeling.This is divided into four parts: feelings in the sense of physical; thoughts, feelings from the heart;and inner feelings. Aesthetic value in a Malay context concentrates most on inner feelings.Gentleness is especially valued. Parallelism, that is repetition of design side by side, and originalitytwo other main elements that influence the Malay's assessment of the beauty of an art form.

The coming of Islam enhanced pre existing Malay values, ranging from philosophy to artforms: E thics, functionality, parallelism and simplicity are some examples. Islam encourages us tovalue the aesthetic of an object in relation to all these aspects. Beauty is placed at the highestlevel. Here is the tradition about the Prophet, known as 'hadith' which says:1 God is beautiful. God loves beauty.' Therefore, in evaluating the beauty of an object, we oftenrelate it to gentleness, as God s gentle.

Every art creation has its own beauty. The creation of a work of art has different level of


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17C h a p t e r Zbeauty which may be grouped into aspects relating to outer form and inner factors.a ) Aspects of the outer or Manifest form indude:i) shapeIS,iv) linesv ) texturevi) the space occupied by the object,b) Indefinite form: the inner factors that influence the creation of art such as the use of symbol. Itis also affected by the sensitivity, creativity, morality and beliefs of the artist.

Beauty which derives from "gentleness" of form is fleshed out through the aspect ofperfection in form, the tidiness of the form and its balance. The perfection in form comes from thecomposition of pattern, motif, colours, and also how he creator conveys his or her ideas throughthese elements.

Malay art forms and decorations are the composed of visual features, such as line,space, texture and others. Two which are typically Malay are geometrical and organic forms. Thiscan be seen in wood carving which uses both elements.The characteristics of these patterns can be assessed in relation to aspects of attractiveness andperfection:i) Abstract patterns are thought to look more attractive than natural ones. Abstraction carries itsown perfection and is in this sense, suitable to the Islamic value towards art as a whole. Islam


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18Chapter 2encourages the creation of art that produces any simple and pleasing forms. Although art isencouraged, there are certain laws which control its creation.In one of the hadith in Quran by Al Bukhari, it is stated:' During the day of judgement, they (the artist) would be commanded to bring back to life ,allthings, or painting they have created or painted.'

Due to this formulation, it is dear that Islam forbids images and realism. Therefore,abstract and symbolism have become common in the Malay art and craft such as weaving.

The perfection in pattern is also produced when the lines drawn are clear, definite and fitthe forms created. For example, the motif of a blooming flower should display the stalk, sepal,petals and others. Only when it is complete, then , a certain composition is considered perfect andbeautiful.

Important elements such as colours, textures and other indefinite elements such asexperiences, capability, sensitivity and emotions do not ensure beauty in a composition. The orderof a certain composition really depends on three important elements : the idea, the creator's


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19Chapter 2emotion and a neat form or arrangement. This factor is closely related to the balance or stability ofthe work.

The Concept of Traditional Art ( Creation)

Research on traditional art began approximately in the middle of the 19th century, whenfolklore' started to develop. The term 'folklore* or in Bahasa Melayu, ' c e r i t a rakya t ' originatedfrom the German 'Volkskunder' which was introduced by Von Amim. W illiam John Thomas laterchanged the term to 'Popular Antiquities' and 'Popular Literature'. Research on traditional artalso involved 'folk arts' and 'folk craft'. Finally, there is knowledge which is limited to materialculture, known as ethnography. All these types of research have contributed to our understandingof "traditional" Malay art.

In the traditional art context, 'folk' and 'court c r a f t * ( K r a f t a n g a n T r a d i s i ) , operated sideby side in daily life. Traditional values, characteristic of the culture stemmed from theexperiences and history of the communities. The beliefs and spirit of each community alsoencouraged the development of the traditional art. At the beginning stage, the beauty of art isstreamed towards beliefs and religion. According to Professor D r. Siti Zainon Ismail,'This condition is determined based on the analysis of style on certain composition. The subjectmatter and technique is adjusted by the surrounding societies and environment.12

2 ibid Pg . 2


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20Chapter 2The formation and the awareness necessary in creating traditional objects of art is

estimated to have begun in the Neolithic period. According to Soelarko,

' The first signs of aesthetic feelings are also formalised, and used as decorative motifs on shieldand household utensils.'3

From the early centuries A.D, the foreign traders, particularly Indian who came to theMalay world, interacted with both the noble class and the ordinary public. These Indian traders,and a middle class group, led a new way of life from their homeland but also brought with themtheir own craft work forms. Thus, there have long been Indian influences in Malay traditional artwork .

History and Discoveries of Pottery in Semenanjung Malaysia

Pottery of the Neolithic inhabitants of Malaya has been found in large quantities incaves. 'It is hardly too much to say that no two vessels are alike. Their chief interest lies in theirdiversity of form.........ornamentation was relatively unambitious; cordmarking is the most usualform of ornament Simple incised patterns are found. The ware is generally dark in colour with

3 RM Soelarko, "An Introduction to Indonesian Art." Asihl, Thailand, C hulalongkorn University. 1963.Pg. 25.


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2 1C h a p t e r 2

sand and charcoal tempering and o f t e n a polished surface produced by b u r n i s h i n g w i t h theapplication of soot.'4

I n Perak, water vessels w h i c h are modelled in the shape of a gourd are nearer in f o r m tothe bronze age flasks f r o m a Sumatran urn grave than to any Javanese f o r m s . 5 F r o m Panang,e s p e c i a l l y f r o m K u a l a T e m b e l i n g , there were pieces b e a r i n g stamps o f superior decorative q u a l i t y .These pieces sometimes were spouted and o f t e n have designs of short arcs rather than therounded, and almost circular curve.

T o d a y , t h e lo c a l t r a d i t i o n a l c e r a m i c i n d u s t r y i s s t i l l n e w in th e process o f b e i n g acceptedb y the communities. T h i s has brought recognition to an industry w h i c h reflects the h i g h q u a l i t y of"traditional" local art. T h u s , a l t h o u g h f r o m an historical point of v i e w , the o r i g i n of this traditionalpottery i s s t i l t a question m a r k , this i s n o l o n g e r o f great importance. I n t h e context o f c u r r e n tdevelopment, w h a t matters is the acceptance that past t r a d i t i o n s of the M a l a y people have a placein t h e country's c u l t u r e . T h e most w e l l k n o w n o f t h e contemporary pottery w o r k s have beendesigned w i t h sensitivity to the beauty of nature. Subject matters related to nature have used asm o t i f s for decoration. Forms also appeared and i n f l u e n c e d the environment and surroundingelements. O n e example i s t h e water vessel f r o m K e p a l a Bendang, S a y o n g , i n Perak.

4 Richard O Winstedt. Arsts and Crafts of the Malays - a Cultural History. 1947. Pg. 174.5 This is illustrated in the Pictorial History by Dr. Stutierheim.

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Continuities of Surface Decoration and Motifs in the Malay Traditional Pottery of Semen an Jung Malaysia