Spirit of Wood. Farish Noor

wood had become 'accustomed' to human beings and was thus better able to 'serve' them.

      The storage of wood was therefore not a simple process for the Malay wood carver. He was not merely keeping the wood aside for future use, but was preparing the wood for higher ends. Prior to working with the wood, the woodcarver was slowly growing accustomed to it and trying to uncover its hidden mysteries. The Malays learnt that in order to have a proper relationship with wood, they had to first discover its secrets.

      Knowledge of semangat was thus critical for the proper use and work of wood, and one could only bring out the best of any kind of wood if one possessed the appropriate knowledge of its particular semangat. Higher woods were—and still are—used for higher, nobler ends, while lesser woods were reserved for common usage. This then is the adab (custom) of wood and woodcarving.

      HILT, KERIS TAJONG (KW014)

      Pattani, pre-18th c., kemuning wood, 6.6 x 11.1 x 3.6 cm

      Close-up of a very early keris tajong hilt from Pattani (see pages 118-19).

      From Wood to Art: The Adab of Woodcarving

      Classical Malay woodcarving was never an industry. It was a vocation with a credo and adab all of its own, and rules that were then known only to a select few.

      The preparation of the wood itself was half the task. As we have seen, the wood-carver would spend years preparing the wood that he was going to work with in order that there would be a perfect match (jodoh) between himself and his material. Traditional woodcarvers believed that they could produce their best work only if they were working with wood that was compatible (serasi) with their own personalities. When making pieces that were intended for the personal use of others, such as keris hilts, the woodcarver also had to ensure that the wood he chose was compatible with the person the object was intended for, thereby complicating his task even further. This kind of intimate knowledge was known as ilmu falak. It was only when these conditions had been met, that the woodcarver could even contemplate the task that lay before him.

      Prior to embarking on a carving, the Malay woodcarver would first carry out several rites and rituals of preparation. He would wake up early in the morning, before dawn, and begin his day with devotional prayers. His body had to be cleansed in every respect, because no traces of pollutants or contaminants were permitted. He had to purify himself, not only physically but also mentally and emotionally.