Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

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DECORA TIVE ART
bat, for instance, is represented by a wavy pattern,
indicating its wings ;
a stag by a small triangle, re-
presenting his pointed slot. These facts were pointed
out to me both among the Blandas and Besisi of
Selangor, before I ever read a line of Vaughan-Stevens,
and subsequently by the Semang of Kedah. The
principle has also been noticed by other observers (apart
from Vaughan-Stevens),^ and may be accepted as
definitely established. It is, I think, not unconnected
in origin with the general ideas underlying the practice
of sympathetic magic or " make-believe," and there is
therefore no reason why it should not be employed
by the members of a race who, to a not inconsiderable
extent, employ what may be called " sympathetic
methods" in their "medicinal" ceremonies.
Representation of Entire Objects.
At the same time it must be insisted upon that
the powers of draughtsmanship of the aborigines do
not by any means stop at this point, I have myself
seen perfectly intelligible drawings representing com-
plete objects, both animals and plants, upon the shafts
of blowpipes and similar objects," and in this respect
the fine collection got together by Vaughan-Stevens
is obviously rich. One of the best of these latter is
perhaps, as Vaughan-Stevens himself points out, the
drawing of a spider by a Sakai upon a bamboo
" stamper " or " tuang-tuang." ^
Geometrical Patterns.
But in spite of their possessing the power both
to conceive and to represent a complete artistic
^ Z.f. E. xxvi. 142. forbidden to the Mohammedan Malays,
'^ This was among the Blandas and they are probably of " savage Malayan "
Besisi, and as such zoomorphs are origin. ^ Z.f. E. xxvi. 143.