4 BASKET MAKING AT MALACCA. 



is achieved (plate l). A six-sided shape is thus produced. The 

 added strands are woven in always two at each corner, " buku " 

 or " susoh " as Malays term it, and the full " mata gila " or 

 mad stitch is achieved after the second round. The strands 

 that go from left to right from the weaving strand or " daun 

 any am." The weaving strands over and under which the 

 other strands are pulled and folded are also used for deter- 

 mining the size of the basket. How many " matas " or stitches ? 

 the Malays will say when you order a basket. The " daun 

 selang"or crossing strand, and the "daun betul" or warp 

 strand are the only other names possible to mark the distinc- 

 tive action in the " Any am Gila." When the size is deter- 

 mined on and woven, a piece of split rattan is inserted and 

 the sides of the basket next made, and in the weaving the rat- 

 tan is completely hidden. The strands of the mengkuang 

 are glossy on one side only, so the Malays by carefully turning 

 their work, arrange that the basket should be glossy both 

 inside and out. The sides are woven round without any adding 

 and it is a relief to the weary worker when this stage is achiev- 

 ed. The Malays, of course, work sitting on the floor (plate 

 2) and complain of the fatigue they endure — pains in the back 

 and nape of the neck. I can testify to . all this inconvenience 

 for when learning I tried every position to obtain ease but in 

 vain. The height achieved, another rattan is inserted. This 

 rattan is covered with a strip of mengkuang, which process 

 is called " bubor " or " Susop " mengkuang. In plate 2, a basket 

 ready for this second rattan is shown by the side of the worker. 

 It resembles a cutlet frill at this stage. Then the strands are 

 all worked back again, the glossy sides being now towards the 

 worker. This is a tedious process and called by the Malays to 

 " sesep " or insert. They use an implement of wood and brass 

 called the '* penysep " or inserter which resembles very much 

 the prickers used by the American Indians in their basketry 

 (pi. 4 fig E). It is often strengthened and ornamented 

 by European treasures, such as a brass thimble and 

 an empty cartridge case and in the very coarse work I have 

 seen used a clumsy "penysep" made entirely of wood. The 

 strands are slipped over their respective duplicates till the 



Jour. Straits Branch 



