Salah satu daripada ciri yang
menarik pada seni bina rumah tradisi di Malaysia ialah seni ukiran kayu. Hasil ukiran kayu Melayu terutamanya ukiran
pada papan banyak menghiasi beberapa bahagian rumah Melayu tradisi dan juga
dalam masjid-masjid di Semenanjung Malaysia.
Mereka yang pakar dalam seni ukiran kayu menyatakan bahawa reka bentuk
ukiran kayu untuk dinding pintu, tingkap, pemidang, almari atau meja dihasil
menggunakan dua teknik asas iaitu ukiran tebuk dan ukiran timbul.
Seni
ukiran Melayu melambangkan kemahiran dan kreativiti para pengukir sejak zaman
berzaman. Ukiran kayu yang mampu
bertahan sehingga beratus-ratus tahun adalah diperbuat daripada kayu jenis
terbaik dan tahan lama seperti cengal, merbau, kempas perak dan kacang
hantu. Jenis kayu yang dipilih lazimnya
dikeringkan melalui proses semula jadi.
Berbekalkan pelbagai jenis pisau serta pahat, kayu mulai dipahat,
diraut, dipotong, ditebuk, dikikir, diukir, dikorek dan seterusnya digilap
dengan menggunakan daun mempelas. Motif
awan larat, sulur kacang, daun petola dan bunga ketumbit adalah antara motif
kegemaran yang sering digunakan. Kerja
mengukir memerlukan ketekunan, ketabahan dan ketelitian untuk melahirkan reka
bentuk yang bermutu tinggi.
The art of Malay woodcarving symbolizes the skill and creativity
of generations of woodcarvers. These
often-elaborate carvings can last several hundred years especially if made of
high quality, durable tropical timber such as cengal, merbau and
kempas perak.
The chosen timber must be air-dried prior to carving. Male artisans work in small workshops, often
situated within their houses compound.
They use various blade, adze, chisels mallets and other woodworking
tools to saw, drill, chisel and carve.
The finished work then polished using coarse mempelas leaves.
Woodcarvings are the best feature of traditional Peninsular
Malay wooden houses. Many old houses and
mosques incorporate such woodcarvings in doors, windows, wall panels and even
furniture. Despite the variety of
objects, all woodcarving evolved from two techniques: openwork (ukiran tebuk)
and raised relief (ukiran timbul).
There are many traditional motifs and designs. Favoured ones include arabesque-like awan
larat (trailing clouds) and sulur (tendrils), or vegetal motifs including
leaves and flowers. Animal-based motifs
are rare and even then highly stylized, keeping in line with Islamic
prohibitions.
Today, woodcarving is still practiced, albeit with a little more
mechanization. Yet the craft still
requires dedication, perseverance and an eye for detail in order to create fine
works of art.
Sumber : Bahagian Pemuliharaan, Kraftangan Malaysia
Artikel ini telah ditulis pada
hari Khamis
, Khamis, Disember 27, 2012
di bawah kategori
Hasil Rimba
. Anda boleh mengikuti artikel ini melalui
comments feed
.
Catat Ulasan