AN YAM GILA (MAD WEAVE) : A MALAYSIAN TYPE OF 



BASKET WORK. 



By Otis T. Mason, . 

 Late Head Curator, Depart iiicnt of Antlirofjolofiu, U. S. National Museum. 



In the W. L. Abbott collections of basketry from southwestern 

 Malaysia, in the U. S. National Museum, are a number of specimens 

 made in a variety of technic not known in America. 



It was first made public by Mrs. L. E. Bland, of the Penang Resi- 

 dency, Straits Settlements, in the Journal of the Straits Branch, 

 Royal Asiatic Society, No. 46. Mrs. Bland studied the art among 

 the Malay women of Tanjong Kling, Malacca, and also mentioned 

 the same ware from the pro\'ince of Wellesley, from Siamese terri- 

 tory, from elsewhere on the peninsula, as well as from Sumatra and 

 other islands. 



The baskets are made from narrow strips of pandanus, or screw 

 pine, leaves, of which there are many species. In the specimens de- 

 scribed by Mrs. Bland the *•' mengkuang " {Pandanus fascicularis) 

 was used. 



The material is prepared by the old women, who cut the long, 

 prickly leaves Avith a woman's parang, or native knife,* and carry 

 them home in large bundles on their heads. They next dry, or 

 " layor," the leaves over a fire of sticks and cut otF the thorns that 

 grow down the spine. This divides the leaf into two Avicle strips, for 

 which purpose a smaller knife, called " pisau," is used.'' 



The women then divide the half leaves into uniform strips by means 

 of a rude gauge, or " jangka." <'■ This is a flat piece of wood with brass 

 spikes fixed into one end at regular intervals, governed by the width 

 of the required strips, varying from -Jr inch to 1 inch. At the same 

 time the thorny edges are removed. 



The strips are next made supple and smooth, or '' lurut," with a 

 " pulurut," a piece of hollow bamboo pulled over the leaf many times 



«See Jonrn. Roy. Asiatic Soc, Straits Braucla, pi. 4, fig. a; and pi. 15, Proc. 

 U. S. Nat. Mus., XXXV. 

 ^ Idem, pi. 4, fig. h 

 " Idem, pi. 4, fig. c. 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXXVI— No. 1672. • 

 Proc. N. M. vol. xxxvi— 09 25 385 



