Unravel mystery of Mah Meri craft
Sound attraction: Alif (right) explaining to students of SM Taman Dato Harun the various wind instruments used by the Mah Meri tribe of Pulau Carey. Some are used to attract birds.
FAMOUS for their masterful craftsmanship, the Mah Meri tribe’s haunting masks and figurines are being showcased at the Petaling Jaya City Council’s (MBPJ) museum.
Titled Mystical Art of the Mah Meri the exhibition will be on until Aug 6.
The works of art have drawn crowds of students, tourists and contemporary artists from as far away as Singapore and Australia.
The exhibition has made the Mah Meri’s works accessible to city dwellers who might not be able to travel to Pulau Carey in Kuala Langat, which is an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur.
MBPJ museum assistant Alif Adam said the Mah Meri (Mah meaning people and Meri meaning forest) have earned international recognition for their carving skills.
Looking at you: The Moyang Kelum spirit mask was carved from a fallen branch. It has two tusks with wide eyes.
“Thousands of tourists make annual visits to the Mah Meri village of Sungai Bumbun in Pulau Carey to see the works which are fashioned from a kind of swamp hardwood known as Nyireh Batu. Most of their thoughts and creative ideas are supposedly bestowed on the artists by the spirits and souls of their ancestors,” he said.
The Mah Meri is from the Senoi sub-aboriginal tribe and most are animists who believe in ancestral spirits which they call Moyang, Hantu and Bes. Mah Meri is one of the 19 orang asli groups who live in peninsular Malaysia.
“Most of the carvings take time because each item must retain the original form created by a previous carver. Each artwork has its own mythological legend narrated by the medicine man or Moyang. Stories passed down from generations guide the artist to understand the secrets of life and nature without the use of abstract reasoning,” he added.
Most of their carvings are based on beings of the sea due to the location of the Mah Meri along the Selangor coast.
“Most of the Mah Meri people have assimilated into modern life and work on the island’s plantations and farms but they still retain their unique culture and traditions,” he added.
Alif said apart from the five masks and 14 figurines, various other handicraft including wind instruments are on display.
PJ Museum is at Jalan 10/7, Section 10, Taman Jaya. It is closed on Fridays.
For details, call 03-7954 8122 or visit www.mbpj.gov.my
~News courtesy of The Star~
Sound attraction: Alif (right) explaining to students of SM Taman Dato Harun the various wind instruments used by the Mah Meri tribe of Pulau Carey. Some are used to attract birds.
FAMOUS for their masterful craftsmanship, the Mah Meri tribe’s haunting masks and figurines are being showcased at the Petaling Jaya City Council’s (MBPJ) museum.
Titled Mystical Art of the Mah Meri the exhibition will be on until Aug 6.
The works of art have drawn crowds of students, tourists and contemporary artists from as far away as Singapore and Australia.
The exhibition has made the Mah Meri’s works accessible to city dwellers who might not be able to travel to Pulau Carey in Kuala Langat, which is an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur.
MBPJ museum assistant Alif Adam said the Mah Meri (Mah meaning people and Meri meaning forest) have earned international recognition for their carving skills.
Looking at you: The Moyang Kelum spirit mask was carved from a fallen branch. It has two tusks with wide eyes.
“Thousands of tourists make annual visits to the Mah Meri village of Sungai Bumbun in Pulau Carey to see the works which are fashioned from a kind of swamp hardwood known as Nyireh Batu. Most of their thoughts and creative ideas are supposedly bestowed on the artists by the spirits and souls of their ancestors,” he said.
The Mah Meri is from the Senoi sub-aboriginal tribe and most are animists who believe in ancestral spirits which they call Moyang, Hantu and Bes. Mah Meri is one of the 19 orang asli groups who live in peninsular Malaysia.
“Most of the carvings take time because each item must retain the original form created by a previous carver. Each artwork has its own mythological legend narrated by the medicine man or Moyang. Stories passed down from generations guide the artist to understand the secrets of life and nature without the use of abstract reasoning,” he added.
Most of their carvings are based on beings of the sea due to the location of the Mah Meri along the Selangor coast.
“Most of the Mah Meri people have assimilated into modern life and work on the island’s plantations and farms but they still retain their unique culture and traditions,” he added.
Alif said apart from the five masks and 14 figurines, various other handicraft including wind instruments are on display.
PJ Museum is at Jalan 10/7, Section 10, Taman Jaya. It is closed on Fridays.
For details, call 03-7954 8122 or visit www.mbpj.gov.my
~News courtesy of The Star~
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