Types of Floral Motifs and Patterns of Malay Woodcarving in Kelantan and Terengganu

Abstract

For the past four decades, there has been a plethora of research on Malay woodcarving and the preservation of the indigenous traditions, designs, methods and the origin of this woodcarving. The aim of this paper is to present an analysis of 32 carved components from 1840s to 2000s focusing on floral motifs and patterns. This study measured the design attributes of carving motifs including floral design elements, character design elements, compositional pattern, principle design and form. The results suggested that the types of motifs and patterns of carving determine the transformation of floral designs which were influenced by functions, environments and socio-cultural aspects of Malay society.