Art of Woodcarving in Timber Mosques of Peninsular Malaysia and Southern Thailand

Abstract

Woodcarving in vernacular timber mosques of Peninsular Malaysia and Southern Thailand is a manifestation of a craftsman's idea into a piece of timber. It is a craft that is generated and nurtured from careful observation by the Malay craftsman towards the surrounding landscape elements particularly of plant forms. The manifestation is always in abstraction, symbolizing the plant feature or geometry into three types of architectural components, namely, structural, elemental and ornament. Cengal timber is the favorite hardwood species for carving which is carved either in relief or perforated manner. The significant effect of woodcarving in the mosque is that it enhances beauty and introduces symbolism to the vernacular architecture of the Pattani region. Although the skills of this craft are fast diminishing in the present Malay society, its revival could be generated through informing the public about the beauty of the craft. Introduction Woodcarving is a significant craft in the Malay architecture of the former Pattani region stretching from northeastern states of Peninsular Malaysia to southern province of Thailand. Much timber architecture including mosque and house was built with strong architectural principles translated both into building form and method of construction. There are still a few remaining old mosques, some dating back 400 years, serving Muslim rural communities during and after the collapse of the Pattani Empire. The architecture of the timber mosque is different from many modern mosques in aspects such as the small size, timber as the main building material, post and beam method of construction and decorated carved components. A distinctive difference is the carved ornamentation of the 1