Woodcarving in Sarawak: Memory, Meaning and Mementoes.
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THE SARAWAK MUSEUM JOURNAL |
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Title :
Woodcarving in Sarawak: Memory, Meaning and Mementoes. |
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Author :
Valerie Mashman |
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Abstract:
In this paper I would like to consider recent woodcarvings which have been commissioned over the past few years and set them against the traditions of their historical antecedents. A case is made for the importance of recording the shared memories of the older generation who can remember the making, the design, the context, and the traditions of our heritage of wood sculpture. This comprises a range of artefacts from the hilts of parang and kris to intricate ceremonial walking sticks and everyday objects such as spoons, bowls, tables and weaving sticks. Some objects may be associated with aristocracy such as carved doors, wedding gifts such as boats, or funerary monuments and coffins. Other items which possess the charisma to attract pigs, such as Iban pig stick and Bidayuh spirit images used to protect crops and Melanau spirit images used to cure sickness, are imbued with spiritual power. However, traditional life up-river is changing: old belief systems are being replaced by world religions, the prestige system focusses less on traditional aristocracy than on newly acquired wealth and educational achievement. In these transitional societies the craftsman is of diminishing status and his skills of limited economic value, and unless he has help in promoting himself, his work is little valued outside his community.
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| DOI: XXXX |
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How to cite:
Mashman, V. (1994). Woodcarving in Sarawak: Memory, Meaning and Mementoes. The Sarawak Museum Journal, XLVII (68): 117-126 |
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References
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