Complexity of the Floral Pattern in Ventilation Panel of

Malay Architecture in Kelantan and Terengganu

Nursuriani bt Shaffee (MB093046) Master Candidate, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Introduction

• woodcarving study - involved people-environment relationship. • Not only known as the oldest decoration art but there are cultural

values embedded it in.

• Lead towards disappearance and discontinued tradition if there is no

artwork knowledge concerning on its origin. • Represented the social status (Sultans, aristocrats, wealthy people) had

the privileged to own it.

• Physical function - to suit hot humid tropical climate (ventilation and

insulation) • Served visual aesthetics and ventilation purposes.

• Created based on the level of creativity, artistry, sensibility and technical.

Introduction

Key motifs in Malay woodcarving can be traced back to Hindu-Buddhist origins. These motifs comprises a symbolic meanings in their original Hindu-Buddhist contexts, which have passed down to the present.

Pre Islam

(Pre 14th Century)

Post Islam

(Post 14th Century)

Dewa Tuhan

Kala Punca Bunga Ukir

Makara Sulur Bayu

Mount Meru Kepala

Stupa Buah Buton

Pohon Beringin Pohon Budi

Padma / Teratai Bunga Tunjung

Naga Discourage in usage

Garuda / Jentayu Petala Indera / Gagak Sura

The original key motifs of Malay woodcarving

Bunga Buton

Stupa

Kala

Makara

Mount Meru

Makara

Kala

Gunungan

Lotus Bunga Tunjung

Naga Garuda

Trend of floral motif before and after the arrival of Islam

1st Century - 6th Century

Carving component represented Kala

and Makara motifs regarded on Hindu-

Buddhism mythology.

(Norhaiza,2001)

Around 6th Century

Malay motif of Langkasuka

Kelopak Dewa or god-like leaf.

Comprises the motif influence from

Ayuthaya government of Siam, and also

Majapahit, Javanese.

Early 14th Century

Kala and Makara were embedded into flower and foliage form on

carved component.

18th Century Malay Motif of

‘Daun Hidup’ introduced by

craftsmen from Pattani and

Kelantan by, the usage of florral motif of Daun Kangkung or Pucuk Kacang

16th Century Malay motif of

Old Flower. Transformation

from Langkasuka motif into Kelopak Maya. Since after the arrival of Islam into Kelantan and

Terengganu by China or India

traders.

Introduction

Problem Statement

• The rising movement on demand for preserving nation’s cultural heritage especially Malay decorative arts.

• In a local perspective the strategy of re-introducing and transferring the knowledge were silently became a trigger in the discontinued of this tradition. Results: Increase the craftsmanship industry into local and abroad. However : leads to activities of borrowing or duplicating foreign idea without concerning on its origin existence. • Societies – lacked in artwork knowledge by accepting the decoration without well understood by them.

Research Gap

• Little work done to document and search on the changes of floral design pattern from early practice. • Combination of scientific and visual analysis method (Point Pattern Analysis (PPA) and visual analysis) which none is done to integrate whole components (floral element character +pattern analysis +analytical review ); the multidisciplinary approach was proposed to achieve the aim of the study. • Lack of detail research pertaining to roles of complexity carving in design qualities. There is not much is known about the factors that influence the changes/ trends of floral pattern.

Aim of Research

To investigate the changes in floral pattern on ventilation panels of Malay

architecture in Kelantan and Terengganu.

1. To identify the trends in complexity of carvings of floral pattern on ventilation panels. 2. To discover the effectiveness of point pattern analysis (PPA) as scientific-learning methodology on two-dimension pictorial data of carvings; and 3. To study the connection of visual pattern analysis and visual descriptive analysis on the physical form.

Research Objectives

Research Questions

1. What are the changes of floral pattern design from 1840s to 2007s? 2. How to identify trend of complexity pattern from 1840s to 2007s? 3. What are the factors that influence the change and complexity of floral pattern on carved components of Malay architecture in Kelantan and Terengganu?

Therefore, floral motifs and pattern have signifying the role and function of the long existed physical design element in Malay woodcarving. The change of it motifs and the pattern may significantly affects the different period, types of building and social culture.

Parameters of the study are classified into six determinants that are subordinated into parameters and dimensions as follows:

Research Parameters

Parameters Dimensions

Carved Component 1. Location: Wall ventilation panels (Continuous Horizontal), Wall ventilation panel (Square Rectangular), Window Ventilation Panel and Door Ventilation Panel. 2. Measured: Quantity of points, Quantity of quadrants and Quadrant size (PPA).

Floral Motif/Pattern 1. Design Characters: Types of Floral motifs, Floral patterns,

Incision and Perforation, Design elements, Design principles and Design Form.

2. Design Attributes: Floral design elements, Types of flowers, Types of leaves, Element design character, Character of Complexity.

Period of Built 1.Year of Built: Pre- arrival of Islam and Post- arrival of Islam.

2.Types of Buildings: Old Palace, Mosque, Houses and Resort. 3.Status of owners: Royal patronage, Aristocrats, and norm people.

Data Collection

Two states in East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia The location of selected traditional Malay vernacular architecture for data collection.

16 Panels by each State. n= 32.

Process of Retrieving Carving Data

Ismail Said’s Residence.

Step 1 Images of single rectangular located on the above door was captured in parallel position.

Step 2 Then, the image was edited to focus/get the carving area.

Step 3 The raw image was digitized using AutoCAD to produce 2D pictorial data.

Step 4 The 2D digitized image, were transform into single line to utilise the point pattern analysis PPA.

Step 5 Point Pattern produced by intersection between single line and quadrant grid (50mmx50mm) to produce VTMR value.

Step 6 VTMR value was compared to the carving pattern to identify the design element that justify the complexity.

Ventilation Panels – 32 Carved Components

Data Collection Kelantan (n=16) Terengganu (n=16)

Step 4: Calculate the mean, variance and VTMR of point in the sample using mathematical formula

Step 1: Original 2D pictorial data of ventilation panels of Istana Jahar.

Step 2: Transformation pictorial data of ventilation panel into single CAD line

Step 3: Point Pattern produced by intersection between single line and quadrant grid

50mm x 50mm

Research Method

Visual Pattern Analysis – Point Pattern Analysis

The VTMR value can be produced by using the calculation formula from Quadrant Count Method.

Step 1: Mean value can be calculated as above.

Step 2: Let xi be the frequency of points in each quadrant. Then the Variance can be calculated.

Step 3: Variance to Mean Ratio (VTMR) is calculated above.

Research Method

Histogram of VTMR value for 32 sets of carved commponents

Histogram Frequency to Era of 16 set of VTMR data sets for Kelantan.

Histogram Complexity to Era of 16 set of VTMR data sets for Terengganu.

Visual Description of Jahar old palace

Visual pattern analysis and visual description of Tengku Long Palace

Research Method

Visual Analysis – Interpretive Pictorial Data

Results

Parameter Design Attributes

KELANTAN N=16 TERENGGANU N=16

Carved Component

Wall Panel (CH) Wall Panel (SR) Window Panel Door Panel

5 5 1 5

Wall Panel (CH) Wall Panel (SR) Window Panel Door Panel

5 2 3 6

Highest VTMR Result between two panels.

Old Palaces (Jahar ) Mosques (Langgar) House (Wan Hussein) Contemporary House (Ismail Said)

Door Wall Wall Door

Old Palaces (Tengku Long) Mosques (Kg. Hiliran) House (Tok Ku Paloh) Contemporary Building (Seri Bakawali)

Door Wall Wall Door

Character of Complexity

Combination of pattern Asymmetrical pattern Design pattern in 3 layers Many of design character

1 1 1 1

Consist 80% of element Modification in design Consist fixed configuration Design pattern in 3 layers

1 1 1 1

Complexity Pattern

High quality in complex pattern.

4/16 Higher quality in complex pattern.

4/16

Research Findings

• There are fluctuation changes and inconsistent in the trend of complexity carving from the 1840s to 2007s in Kelantan and Terengganu. • The carved ventilation panels in Terengganu’s architecture are comprise the most complex pattern compared to carved components in Kelantan’s architecture. • There are five similarities of design attributes - principles of pattern design. • The differences - placement of the carved components, types of flower motifs, types of leaves and the character of complexity of design floral pattern. • Two parameters are needed to utilize the value of Variance-to-Mean-Ratio (VTMR) which are; (i) number of points and (iii) number of quadrants. • The influence factors of complexity pattern are due to the i) period of carvings, (ii) status of ownership, (iii) skills of craftsmen and (iv) placement of carved components.

Research Implication and Significance

• Contribute to the literature on Malay motifs and design pattern of carved ventilation panels.

• Fill the gap as a new knowledge/finding by introducing a new technique analysis using scientific method (multidisciplinary approach).

• Contribute in developing the discourse on ornament of architecture – introduce guidelines and sustain the origin.

• Benefits societies, researchers, craftsmen, architects who pursuing the study of Malay woodcarving - understanding the languages of design attributes and to be utilized as a future reference.

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