6 BASKET MAKING AT MALACCA. 



ordinary weaving, while a fine nest takes from three to four 

 months to complete and this means daily steady work. For 

 the ordinary hexagonal nests they earn from $2. 50 to $3. 00. 

 and for a fine one from $4.00 to $5.00. When this is calcu- 

 lated out it cannot be said that the industry is overpaid, yet 

 there are many who think that it is, and that, in spite of the 

 increased cost of living. There are now about forty or 

 fifty experienced basket workers living at Tanjong Kling 

 besides many beginners. Formerly only ten women made 

 baskets. The demand has greatly increased, for people have 

 begun to order the baskets in great quantities for home bazaars, 

 where they are much appreciated. The industry in a way is 

 suffering as the women are making more carelessly and rapidly 

 to meet the demand. Five old women come into the town 

 every second day in order to sell the work of the village, 

 they are old and more or less blind and now unable to weave 

 themselves. They walk fourteen miles to sell the work of 

 their younger sisters., The chief distinctive feature in the 

 Tanjong Kling weaving is that they use no dyes and also always 

 ornament their " mata gila " with raised designs (PI. 3). In 

 Province Wellesley the same weaving exists, but in a smaller 

 degree, and there few ornamental designs are made and no 

 rattans are inserted. I believe along the Malacca Coast the 

 " Anyam Gila" may be found at Tanjong Bidara and also 

 Kuala Linggi. I have also seen baskets and tobacco-pouches 

 of this weaving obtained from Sumatra, Kelantan, Perak, 

 Kedda, and Siamese territory in the Malay Peninsula. Some 

 of the specimens were extremely fine, finer than any Malacca 

 work now obtainable — and ornamented with dyed strands, 

 sequins, and gold filagree work. 



I have confined myself in this paper solely to this one 

 style of weaving the mad stitch, but hope later to send further 

 notes on other and more simple forms of basket weaving 

 practised in Malacca. It is very curious that the ornamented 

 'Anyam Gila" should be confined to Tanjong Kling only in 

 Malacca, and any light that can be thrown on its origin and 

 history would be very interesting. The female prisoners in the 

 Singapore Gaol are made to learn ' Anyam Gila " and a better 



Jour, Straits Branch 



