Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society/Volume 45/Malacca Lace
Malacca Lace.
By Mrs. Bland.
Fifty years ago really fine cotton pillow lace was made in Malacca. The lace was worn by the Chiefs and Hajis on their coats and trousers, and it may still be seen occasionally at weddings, but with the use of European clothing the lace has more or less disappeared. The present generation are content to use nine to nineteen bobbins, while their grandmothers and great aunts before them used fifty to one hundred, or even more. Moreover, they have lost all their patterns, all their fine bobbins and even their pillows. The white ants have consumed them all. Occasionally; one may come across a few relics of this past art in beautiful ivory bobbins and faded trouser borders. I myself obtained a very fine specimen of the latter from an old Malay, and have no doubt others can be picked up in the Kampongs (see plate No 3). All that remains of this old industry is the present "biku" making, chiefly found in the district of Pringgit, where quite fifty women use pillows—also at Bukit Tempurong and Bukit China, but here in much fewer numbers—at the outside twenty workers. "Biku" or edging is made of coloured silk for native use to border handkerchiefs and veils, and is sold very cheaply for that purpose to Malays and Chinese. It is sold in lengths of 2 1/2 yards or one "bimpul." The silk is bought. by the woman in skeins from "kelontong kain" the travelling draper, or pedlar, and he also sells the "biku" itself with his other wares. The pillow used, as depicted in the photograph, (see plate 1) is of the simplest description—a rough wooden sloping stool padded with cloth and stuffed with sawdust. The cost is fifty or sixty cents at the present date. It is called "bantal" by the Malays, and I have noticed the little girls sitting astride their pillows when just commencing a new piece. It is perhaps to this reason that the pillow owes its shape—it no doubt suits the Malay who always works sitting on the floor,—but it is very back-breaking to the European. Formerly the pillows always had a drawer for holding extra bobbins, It is now omitted. The bobbins are either made of wood, horn, or ivory, and are called "buah." They are very similar in shape to the Ceylon bobbins, but rather more delicate in make and size. At the present time, there is considerable difficulty in getting bobbins made at all and the old bobbins made in ebony and ivory for three or five cents, cannot now be obtained in plain wood for less than eight or ton cents. There are five patterns now in common use, the greatest number of bobbins used being nineteen. Four of these pat- terns are depicted in plate 2, requiring nine, eleven, fifteen, and nineteen bobbins respectively beginning at the foot of the plate. There is one other pattern not shown requiring thirteen bobbins. The two insertions shown at the top of plate 2 are old patterns not now made. Fifty and thirty bobbins were used respectively in their composition. The patterns are prieked out in paper and called "Sepesel" and "achuwan." The Malays have names for their patterns such as:—
(1) "Prut Lintah" or leech's stomach. This in "torchon" would be called "bar" stitch—In the insertions shewn in Plate 2, these bars are combined to form 6-pointed stars, which are known as "Bunga Tanjong":—
(2) "Anyam Krosi" or chair-plait which in "torchon" would be called cloth stitch, is also shown in the same inser- tions alternating with the "Bunga Tanjong."
(3) "Siku Kěluwang" or bat's wing, which is a vandyke pattern depicted in the wide insertions of the old trouser border in plate 3. And I daresay many others which are now forgotten with the art. The various stitches are also named, and one "hiku" of thirteen bobbins was thus described to me, beginning at thefoot of the edging right across to the top:—
- "Puchok" or "Kipas" taking one bobbin.
- "Buah Sirih" taking two bobbins
- "Ikatan kipas " taking two bobbins.
- "Penyambut" taking two bobbins.
- "Prut Lintah " taking two bobbins.
- "Tali Ayer" taking two bobbins."
- "Kaki" taking two bobbins.
The most common stitch in all their laces is the "Ikatan," or fastening stitch. It does not resemble the torchon "half stitch" or "whole stitch" but seems to be original. A more elaborate form of it is called "Mata Punai," and is the only stitch which has the same name as in the Palembang patterns sent to me. The Malacca Malays use the word "renda" for all lace except the narrow edgings which they call "biku." They themselves never seem to have made wide edgings; all their wide laces being insertions joined together for trouser borders. They throw their bobbins across with incredible rapidity using their second and third fingers to flick the bobbin across more especially in making the "bars" or "prut lintah." It is an art which cannot be acquired by everyone. As to the origin and history of the industry I have been unable to find out anything. Through the kindness and courtesy of Mr. Spakler, Consul General for the Netherlands in Singa- pore, I have obtained a pillow from Palembang, Sumatra, where lace is also made by the Malays. This pillow is identical with the Malacca one in structure and design only with a drawer and more elaborately ornamented. The industry is a flourishing one in Palembang where the Dutch ladies buy the lace in quantities for their Kěbayas (jackets) and it is sold in lengths of 4 yards for this purpose. The bobbins are also identical, though slightly longer and up to one hundred are employed. What is more interesting the common terms are the same "Bantal," "Buah," Sepesel"—but in addition they have the word "Papan" for insertion, and "renda " is confined to wide (2), edgings which in Palembang are also made by the natives. "Renda" is I believe, a Portuguese word and is also used in Ceylon for lace, were I am told the lace industry was undoubtedly founded by the Portuguese. But again it may be native. If is impossible now to say. A very curious pillow was shown to me by Mr. R. Shelford, Curator of the Sarawak Museum at Kuching, on which edgings are made by the Malays principally in gold thread for veils and coats worn by the Dyak women. This edging is there called "puntas," the pillow "guling puntas," the bobbins "pelulak," and the pattern which is pricked out on a strip of palm leaf is called "kabat puntas." The pillow is very primitive, a cylindrical cushion, placed on an earthenware bowl, and the bobbins which vary in number from four to sixteen are like ninepins and extremely clumsy. Good specimens of all the three pillows here des- cribed may now be seen in the Singapore Museum. I have learnt myself to make the Malacca "biku" and have append- ed to these notes the common words used by my teacher during our lessons. A tentative attempt is now being made to revive the industry at the Girls School at Pringgit. It is an industry specially adapted to Malay women. I owe my grateful thanks to the Bible Society Ladies for introducing me to this local industry, also to Mr. Howell, who has so kindly assisted me with his camera, and for some very careful and detailed information received from the Resident in Palembang through Mr. Spakler.
Terms.
| "Kuku" | finger nail, applied to loops in the "kipas" |
| "Kedut" | crumpled |
| "Ulor" | slack |
| "Tĕgang" | tight, taut |
| "Selang | alternate |
| "Pintal" | to cross |
| "Kipas" | fan |
| "Rengkap" | pair, complete set of two |
| "Chuchok jarum" | put in pin |
| "Ikat Jarum" | to enclose pin |
| "Peniti" | pin |
| "Kwet" | flick given to the bobbin |
| "Unting" | skein |
| "Tukal" | bundle |
| "Chuchok sepesel" | to prick out the pattern |
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Lace Makers, Pringgit.
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Evolution of lace pattern.
Journal 46, Plate III.
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Trouser border.
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Malacca lace bobbin
EXPLANATIONS OF PLATES 1 TO 4.
| Plate 1. | Lace-makers from Pringgit, Malacca. |
| Plate 2. | a to d show evolution of pattern in 4 strips of "biku." |
| a 3 pointed fan (kipas) 9 bobbins employed. | |
| b 5 pointed fan, 11 bobbins employed. | |
| c 5 pointed fan and bar (prut lintah) 15 bobbins
employed. | |
| d 5 pointed fan and bars forming a four-pointed star (bunga tanjong) 19 bobbins employed. | |
| e & f Two strips of insertions composed of cloth stitch diamonds (anyam krosi) alternating with six pointed stars (bunga tanjong). The ground work of c to f is composed of fastening stitches (ikatan). | |
| Plate 3. | Wide trouser border at least fifty years old. Pattern "siku kěluwang" (bat's wing). |
| Plate 4. | Malacca Lace bobbin. |