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Labu Sayong

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A readily finished Labu Sayong, available in black or brown.

Labu Sayong is a type of pottery and earthenware, bottle gourd-shaped jars from Sayong, a subdistrict located about 10 kilometres from Kuala Kangsar, Perak.[1] In particular, the jar is cultivated by the Kampung Kepala Bendang residents.[2] The village is where this industry was originated as the abundance of raw materials, such as clay that can be obtained from the village; the labu sayong making industry has expanded among the heirs of the original potters to surrounding villages in the Kuala Kangsar district from here on out.[3][4]

The carving motifs are often inspired by traditional elements, especially flowers such as tanjung flowers, padi, senduduk, star anise, cloves and bamboo shoots.[5] The handicraft, which is made from clay is carefully shaped and carved, has become a part of the art heritage of Kuala Kangsar and the cultural history of Perak and Malaysia as well.[6] It is also associated with a dance called the sayong.[7]

Etymology

The word Labu means pumpkin in Malay; it is also a local name for the bottle gourd. Sayong refers to the name of the village and subdistrict, where it is a home of the Labu Sayong production, located 10 kilometres from Kuala Kangsar in Perak.[8]

History

The ebony-coloured Labu Sayong, primarily used to store water and keep the water inside it cooled.

The history of Labu Sayong production dates back to the prehistoric age to the reign of Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain as the 15th Sultan of Perak from 1752 to 1765.[9]

The Labu Sayong is said to be the result of innovation from replacing empty gourds used to fill water among the local community; the habit of this community to become skilled in using soil as a building material led to attempts to create gourd-like items from the same material.[2] The water pitcher's shape is also inspired by the shape of a standing heron seen from the front.[10]

There are two figures who are strongly associated with the pioneering of the water gourd art: Nila Hitam, a Malay woman born in Kampung Kepala Bendang itself, and Tok Kaluk, a Minangkabau blacksmith from Sumatra who is said to have introduced the creation of pottery from clay around 1810 during the reign of Sultan Abdul Malik Mansur Shah, whose skills earned the sultan's trust to the point of being granted a plot of land in the same village.[10]

The production of Labu Sayong using modern molds was introduced by the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation in 1975, allowing for more production, bulk production and lower costs. However, this modern technique has raised concerns among some artisans over the quality of the final product (easily broken, easily contaminated by chemicals, etc.) and the possibility of jeopardizing the sales of the traditionally hand-made labu.[2][10]

Making process

The Labu Sayong making enterprise that makes the handicraft belongs to the ceramic manufacturing industry. The passage of time has revolutionized its manufacturing method from traditional to modern.

Traditional

The traditional making process of Labu Sayong.

The traditional Labu Sayong are made by carefully shaping clay and letting it harden for a while. The gourd's surface is carved by pressing it with pieces of 'stamp wood' to produce various embossed patterns.[11] The gourd then baked at the higher temperature.

The gourds that have had enough time to baked are then moved to a pile of rice husks for the blackening process. The heat accumulated in the hot gourd burns the husks indirectly reducing the oxygen content and producing a thick smoke;[12] The smoke releases carbon particles which blacken the gourd's body. This process is done for about 5 minutes.[12] The blackness degree of Labu Sayong also depends on the temperature of the fire that needs to be maintained before "scalding" for ideal blackening, which is from the original temperature range of between 850°C to 900°C controlled through the usage of wood or bamboo as the main fuel, dropping to around 450ºC to 500ºC.[12]

References

  1. ^ Azleenda Sahaludin (23 May 2023). "Ketahui kelebihan labu Sayong yang dapat menyamankan kawasan sekeliling". Sinar Bestari. Sinar Harian. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Azmi, Muhamad Luthfi & Tarmiji 2010, pp. 131–154.
  3. ^ Rozdan Mazalan (4 August 2019). "Labu sayong Kuala Kangsar". Berita Harian. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  4. ^ Fernando Fong (13 August 2017). "Keeping alive art of making 'Labu Sayong". New Straits Times. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Do you know ... about Labu Sayong?". The Star Online. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  6. ^ Azmi Arifin (2015). "Traditional Malay Pottery of Kuala Kangsar: Its History and Development" (PDF). Malaysia Research. 33 (2): 113–133. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2019 – via Universiti Sains Malaysia.
  7. ^ "The Many Colours of Malaysia". Tourism Malaysia. 24 March 2003. Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019. The most famous product which has every tourist in awe is the labu sayong - a calabash shaped urn used during mystical rituals or simply for storing water. It's a wonder as the water stored in it is always cool. The people of Perak even have a dance called the labu sayong.
  8. ^ Porananond 2016, p. 51.
  9. ^ Khairol Anuar Harith Fadzillah (24 March 2023). "Sejarah dan Kearifan Tempatan dalam Warisan Labu Sayong". Dewan Budaya. Jendela DBP. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  10. ^ a b c Siti Zainon 1986.
  11. ^ Salwa Ayob (2019). "Tembikar Melayu Tradisi Sayong: Pemerian Asal Usul, Intipati Bentuk, Motif Dan Rupa". Journal of Applied Arts. 1 (1). Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris: 73-77.
  12. ^ a b c Abdul Jalil; Oskar Hassan; Norhidayah Md Zainuddin; Hamdzun Haron (2013). "Innovation of Blackening Labu Sayong". Jurnal Teknologi. 66 (1). Universiti Teknologi Malaysia: 63–67. doi:10.11113/jt.v66.2124.

Bibliography

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