Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org
Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org
Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org
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I9I5] I. H. Evans: <strong>Malay</strong> Filigree Work. 27<br />
roughly hammered out into a wire <strong>of</strong> considerable thickness<br />
and an end is passed through one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> largest holes in <strong>the</strong><br />
iron plate mentioned above; <strong>the</strong> wire is <strong>the</strong>n pulled through<br />
with <strong>the</strong> aid <strong>of</strong> a pair <strong>of</strong> pincers. All <strong>the</strong> holes on one side <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> plate have <strong>the</strong>ir mouths enlarged into cup-shaped depressions<br />
<strong>of</strong> various sizes. A little cocoanut oil is put into <strong>the</strong><br />
depression with a fea<strong>the</strong>r before <strong>the</strong> wire is drawn through <strong>the</strong><br />
hole, and as <strong>the</strong> wire is threaded in from <strong>the</strong> side on which <strong>the</strong> depressions<br />
are, any gold which may be stripped <strong>of</strong>f in <strong>the</strong> process<br />
<strong>of</strong> drawing is left behind in <strong>the</strong> cup and adheres by reason <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
oil. The drawing process is repeated again and again, a smaller<br />
hole being used each time. Occasionally <strong>the</strong> wire becomes too<br />
hard to stand fur<strong>the</strong>r fining down without breaking, and <strong>the</strong><br />
smith <strong>the</strong>n hghts his paraffin flare, rolls <strong>the</strong> wire into a coil,<br />
places it on a block <strong>of</strong> charcoal and s<strong>of</strong>tens it by means <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
flame and small brass blowpipe (penyup). Each time <strong>the</strong> wire<br />
is put through a smaller sized hole <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> it has to be cut<br />
or scraped with a sharp knife, until its circumference is<br />
sufficiently small for enough <strong>of</strong> it to pass through to afford a<br />
hold for <strong>the</strong> pincers. The drawing down process is continued,<br />
—<strong>the</strong> refuse gold being occasionally scraped out from <strong>the</strong><br />
cups and deposited in a small cocoanut shell, plate or dish,<br />
until <strong>the</strong> wire is ra<strong>the</strong>r finer than an ordinary piece <strong>of</strong><br />
sewing cotton, when it is considered ready for <strong>the</strong> next<br />
process. This consists in giving <strong>the</strong> prepared wire a twist, as<br />
Marsden observes, "like that in <strong>the</strong> handle <strong>of</strong> a whalebone<br />
punch ladle," and this is<br />
block <strong>of</strong> wood under a<br />
obtained by rolling <strong>the</strong> wire on a<br />
flat stick. When <strong>the</strong> twisting is<br />
finished, <strong>the</strong> wire is lightly tapped with a hammer until<br />
it is slightly flattened. The smith is <strong>the</strong>n ready to being<br />
composing <strong>the</strong> filigree ( karangan; i.e. composition). A<br />
long piece <strong>of</strong> plain flattened wire is first taken and a<br />
sufficient length cut from it to form a boundary round <strong>the</strong><br />
edge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tapak. This is bent into shape and fastened<br />
on edge in <strong>the</strong><br />
kenderi), which<br />
required position with a<br />
is made from a small<br />
kind <strong>of</strong> glue {getah<br />
red seed with a<br />
black spot on it, said to be <strong>the</strong> fruit <strong>of</strong> a climbing plant<br />
(akar) called Kenderi*. Borax powder ipejar), used as a<br />
flux, and filings from a block <strong>of</strong> alloy <strong>of</strong> gold, silver and<br />
brass,<br />
down<br />
are spread evenly along<br />
to <strong>the</strong> backing with tiny<br />
<strong>the</strong> wire, which is<br />
little clamps, made<br />
fixed<br />
from<br />
small strips<br />
by means <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> iron, bent double. Heat<br />
<strong>the</strong> flare and blowpipe, and<br />
is<br />
<strong>the</strong><br />
next applied<br />
alloy, acting<br />
as a solder, fuses with <strong>the</strong> wire and <strong>the</strong> metal <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> backing.<br />
The clamps are <strong>the</strong>n taken <strong>of</strong>f, an inner edging <strong>of</strong> twisted wire<br />
arranged as before, and <strong>the</strong> clamps put back. When this has<br />
also been soldered into position in <strong>the</strong> same manner, <strong>the</strong><br />
clamps are finally removed, and <strong>the</strong> smith begins <strong>the</strong> work<br />
* The composition ot this alloy is 4 parts Rold, to i part silver and i part<br />
brass. A small square block <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> alloy is fixed into <strong>the</strong> side <strong>of</strong> a stick <strong>of</strong><br />
wood, which acts as a holder for it when it is being filed.<br />
Probably A brus precatorius<br />
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