Among the Orang Asli or
indigenous people of Peninsular Malaysia, two tribes are well-known for their
remarkable wood sculptures:
Jah Hut of Temerloh area in
central Pahang State
Mah Mery of Carey Island in Selangor
State
Carved by people with no formal
training, these sculptures reveal the natural craftsmanship of Orang Asli
carvers, and their innate understanding of wood. Astoundingly, each aboriginal
wood sculpture is carved from a single piece of wood, without nails and
interlocks, with some sculptures reaching up to 1.5 meters (60 in).
Jah Hut and Mah Mery carvers
often draw on their ancient culture and folklore for the subject of the wood
sculpture. In Orang Asli culture, earthly and heavenly phenomena are explained
through "spirits" or Moyang. There are spirits of birth, death,
illness, parenthood, humor, mischief, deceit, love and other emotional
concepts.
Both Jah Hut and Mah Mery tribes
carve elaborate figures depicting forest and household spirits, purely as art
pieces and not for worship. Although some of these sculptures may appear scary,
the proportion, balance and beauty of these works of aboriginal art shine
through.
Jah Hut also carves animals like
tiger, elephant, crocodile, leopard and monkey, and totems using hardwood from
surrounding jungle.