Malaysia
offers a huge variety of traditional handicrafts, ranging from
priceless antiques to modern hand-made crafts. Here's a selection
found around the country.
Ornate water vessels are unique and interesting pieces,
including Labu Sayong, a black, gourd-shaped clay jar used to store
and cool water, as well as the terenang.
Keen chefs might like to pick up a belanga, a cooking pot with a
round base and wide rim often used to cook curries, as well as some
traditional metal or wooden kitchenware.
Wooden handicrafts are plentiful thanks to the substantial
timber stock in Malaysia and can be purchased in the form of
antique Malay-styled engraved panels, keris dagger handles, Chinese
containers, unique Orang Asli spirit sculptures, intricate walking
sticks and carved scented woods
Traditional brass casting and bronze working techniques are
still used to make an array of utensils, and the discovery of tin
in Malaysia has led to high quality Malaysian pewter. Metal craft
products include modern decorative items and traditional artifacts
like tepak sireh sets, rose-water instruments and keris blades.
Local plant fibres such as bamboo, rattan, pandan and mengkuang
leaves are widely used and coiled, plaited, twined and woven to
produce items such as bags, baskets, mats, hats, tudung saji and
sepak raga balls.
Malaysia's traditional textiles are greatly sought after,
including batik, songket, pua kumbu and tekat. These textiles are
made into all sorts of decorative items, from haute couture clothes
to shoes, colourful curtains and delicate bed linen. Malaysian
batik offers an endless array of styles, designs and colours and is
usually made using traditional methods rather than
mass-produced.
Jewellery and accessories range from indigenous beadwork from
Borneo to ornate and sophisticated gold and silver pieces.
Traditional pieces include brooches, hairpins and belt buckles