Wau making is nowadays a still living form. A very intricate form, it needs extreme skill and patience. There are many types of wau to be seen, and each form has an individual size and shape. There is a wau called a wau kuching (cat kite), wau merak (peacock kite), and finally the wau bulan-- or the moon kite. Seen here, it is named after the crescent shape at the bottom. With a 2.5 m wing span and a height of 3.5 m, it can go 450 m high up into the air! To create these beauties, one must go through a long process. First, bamboo is split to make the frame of the kite. The artist afterwards covers the frame with tinted, siny glazed paper. Afterwards, they paste many times over the design of intricate flowers. A bow shaped device is put on after the tassels are glued, this device creates a pleasant humming sound when it is soaring through the sky. Yet this art is declining in its homeland of the east coast of peninsular Malaysia.
Nowadays, the Royal Selangor Pewter Factory is still running. With many locations, one can go and purchase their own handmade pewter, gold or silver piece. With the factory located in Kuala Lumpur, visitors are encouraged to come inside to view the workers working-- and even try to hammer their own pieces. Sold in the gift shop are many beautiful items, so be sure to check it out during your visit! At the right, a picture of one of their sets is shown.
Batik, the form of beauty on a fabric, is still alive and flourishing today-- because the government decided to keep it alive by asking local artisans to produce it and then sell it. The process is long, but the outcome beautiful. Patterns are drawn on a cloth with liquid wax, and the wax allowed to dry. The cloth is then dyed. The wax is thereafter removed by dipping the cloth in boiling water, and the process repeated until the artist satisfied. Purchase your own batik cloth when you visit any major city of Malaysia--- the artisans will be doing them in the shop stalls on the streets.
Weaving is a process present in Malaysia. The rainforest provides various types of woods for weaving comfy and chic furniture, baskets, etc. The thorny vines of the rattan tree are carefully woven into chairs and tables-- and this sort of chair is a hit with the British. It is present in perhaps every British home. Sago palm fronds are strong yet flexible, and in Borneo, it has been dyed and woven into beautiful jewelry, baskets, hats, floor mats, and etc. These forms of art and many others can be found by perhaps walking in Kuala Lumpur one day or touring the many villages of Malaysia-- it is up to you to discover them all!