21.03.2013 Views

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

—<br />

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 />

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!