MUSEUM OF BEAUTY
LABRETS WORN BY THE FALI OF THE NORTHERN CAMEROON
Although it is still widespread, the wearing of labrets is neither uniform nor universal among the Fali sub-groups. In some areas, only a few old women are seen wearing small labrets made of mille stalks. In other regions, metallic nail-like labrets with ornamental incision across the head are worn on the upper lip or both lips. The nails may have flat or conical heads, with one or two points.
In the Peske area, metal or straw labrets are sometimes been replaced by plastic materials, oftenly red in colour. In the Kangou district, the type of labrets most frequently seen is made from polished limestone of cylindrical shape. Some little girls had their upper lips been pierced five times and their lower lip once so that the mille stalk can be inserted. Nowadays, it is replaced by matchsticks preferably green in colour.
In Kangou, labrets are not merely stone ornaments, but it is related to the myth of creation. According to the myth, the primordial mother, the women who gave birth to all beings received the gift of speech from god through the intermediary of a toad. On the toad’s advice, she herself pierced the lips of her eldest daughter with a thorn, which she replaced on the following day with the stalks of the straw until the girl could wear labrets made of limestone from the town of Bidzar, shaped into the cylindrical form and polished.
Custom born of this myth has been kept alive ever since. The upper disc, with a diameter of about three cm symbolizes the toad’s plate whereas the one inserted into the lower lip which is only half of the size represents the animal’s tongue. Then, by clicking the two labrets together, the women evoke the toad’s croaking. Symbolically, it reaffirms their functions as the diffusers of divine knowledge, while the men merely carry out their routine.
When a woman dies, the labrets are removed from her corps and bequeathed to her sister or to a girl below the age of puberty. They are not to be given to outsiders.
The importance of these labrets, which symbolize the divine knowledge transmitted by the toad, is emphasized by the way the Fali built their storage silos, divided between the masters of the household and among his wives. Its design represents parts of the female body. An inner, much smaller silo shaped like a bottle represents an unborn child. It is used exclusively to store crushed peanuts, which is likened to the male seed.
The silo is also called “silo of the toad” or “silo of the word”. Thus, for the purpose, two types of potteries are used. The larger is used to close the top part while the smaller one is used to seal the small inner silo. This symbolizes the labrets used which indirectly signify the toad and the divine teaching brought to men.
THE WEARING OF LIP PLATES
The lip plates cause some inconvenience to the wearers. It is because the food had to be crumbled or cut into small pieces and then put at the back of the tongue before eating. Moreover, if they want to drink, they had to place their tongue on the plate and under the rim of the drinking container. If they want to smoke, the cigarette is wedged in a corner of the mouth. The pressure of the plate against the teeth can force the teeth out of alignment or loosen them. During the ritual festivals new ornaments are made and decorated with tassels, strings and patterns. Lip plates are worn throughout the day. When sleeping, the plate is often tilted upwards concealing part of the face and exposing the decorated underside. Plates are removed perhaps only to clean the margin of the lips, the rim of the plate and when bathing.
THE SURMA
The home of the 30,000 Surma of Ethiopia lies on the Southwestern border of Sudan. The area has a-7,000-foot mountains and wide expanses of lowlands. The Surma are a semi-nomadic people. They cultivate crops and breed cattles. The number of cattle owned reflects a man’s wealth and his ability to buy wives. Despite supporting their living by breeding cattles on the west of the Omu River, inter tribal clashes often occur between the tribe of Bumi in the south and the tribe of Dizi in the north.
Generally, the Surma are poorly equipped when it comes to self defence and they also have been driven out of their settlement. Thus, they have lost their cattles to the enemy. This circumstance forced them to settle on a land less suitable for breeding cattles. However, they are able to adapt to this situation by mining gold in order to replace the cattles lost or to buy gun for defence.
CANNONS OF KOTA MELAKA
According to history, Malays of the Archipelago had used firearms such as cannons and guns since the 7th century. The firearms were used by the kingdoms of Srivijaya (Sumatera), Langkasuka (Malay Peninsular), Tarumanegara, Mataram and Majapahit (in Java). The medium-size cannons or rifles were known as rentaka, lela and others. The Malay had started using more advanced cannons after the arrival of the Turks, Portuguese, Dutch and English in the 16th century.
After the Portuguese conquered Melaka in 1511, Alfonso de Albuquerque, captain of the Portuguese army reported that he had encountered 2,000 to 3,000 cannons in Kota Melaka. Several of the cannons are exhibited in the Army Museum, Lisbon.
The Portuguese brought many cannons to defend Kota Melaka. However, none of them could be found today. Perhaps the Portuguese had moved them or the cannons were melted down or destroyed by the Dutch after they captured Kota Melaka in 1641. The colonialization of Dutch in Melaka meant that they brought in their cannons here. A few of the Dutch cannons can be seen at the Santiago archway. Most of the cannons were either made of copper or bronze.
The British brought in cannons made of bronze and iron. They used the iron cannons during the Naning war in 1831-1832. Although hundreds of cannons existed in Kota Melaka a long time ago, only a few of them can still be seen in the St. Paul’s Hill area today.
THE BOW AND ARROW
The bow and arrow is one of the long-ranged traditional weapons used since pre-historic times. The origins of its existence here, whether through local evolution or through knowledge brought in from elsewhere, are unclear. The aboriginal people have used the bow and arrow for a long time, and many local myths mention these weapons. The Malay Annals too include the names of some expert local archers. From here, it can be concluded that the knowledge of making bows and arrows, and their usage have existed in this country for a long time.
The bow is made either of wood or metal, with a cord fixed in a curve from either end. The size of the bow is determined by its use. The cord is usually made from the inner bark of the ‘Terap tree’ or in some cases, silk. The arrow is normally made of light materials with feathers attached to it to provide stability when it is shot. The arrowhead is usually made of metal and comes with various shapes, but always with a pointed head. The arrowhead has usually been soaked in the sap of the ‘Ipoh tree’, which is poisonous enough to kill its target.
The bow displayed here is made of metal and approximately 90 years old.
LEMBING
Malay weapons fall into two categories, the long weapons such as spears, long keris, sword, and the long parang; and the short weapons such as the different types of keris and daggers. Of the long weapons only the spear is a thrown weapon.
There are many types of spears found in this country. They are categorized into two main groups, namely the ‘lembing’ and ‘tombak’. The ‘lembing’ were used in fights at close quarters, and were distinguished by their long and sharp blades, with a ridge in the centre of the blade. On the other hand, the ‘tombak’has a smooth and flat blade.
Most of the Malay lembing/tombak are light, approximately 180cm long, with thin metal blades firmly tied to the shaft with rattan or metal bands. The tombak are also used for ceremonial purposes. They could be in different shapes and lengths, but those used for palace ceremonies were of uniform size and length.
The lembing/tombak has been used since pre-historic times. The blades were originally made either of bamboo or wood. Later, metals such as copper, bronze, iron and even gold were used, depending on the status and wealth of the owner. Today, the lembing/tombak is restricted to ceremonial and palace purposes only.
SWATOW CERAMIC WARES
Fukian was one of the districts in South China, which was actively involved in the ceramics industry during the 16th and 17th centuries. However, they are not connected to the ceramics produced by the Chinese Ming or Ching dynasties, but were called the ‘Swatow wares’, named after the harbour from which they were exported overseas to Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, India and elsewhere.
The differences between the Swatow ceramics and the Ming and Ching porcelain wares can be easily spotted. The Swatow wares are usually large and coarse, with sand particles or minute stones attached to the glazed base. They were attractive but were roughly made, in colours such as red, greenish blue and black. There are also other Swatow-made varieties such as those coated with a dull blue colour or celadon glaze.
The Swatow ceramics industry also produced wares with Islamic motifs and decorations as well as Arabic script and Quran verses for markets in the Muslim countries. The Swatow industry was also affected by the political upheavals in China and eventually lost its identity.
DUTCH CERAMICS
Holland was also famous for its own ceramics tradition of early ‘maiolica’ and ‘delft’ wares. The early Dutch ceramics were not really in a high quality and were produced only for domestic consumption. The arrival of the Dutch in Southeast Asia and their relations with China enabled them to improve their ceramics industry and eventually produce high quality of porcelain.
The Dutch domination of Southeast Asia started in the early 17th century and reached its height in 1682. They ruled the seas of Asia, monopolized the spice trade and became the main supplier of Chinese porcelain to Asian and European markets. Aware of the profits of the porcelain trade, they took over as the exporter of Chinese porcelain when internal strife overcame China in the 17th century.
The fall of the Ming dynasty and the rise of the Ching dynasty affected the ceramics industry in 1644 and forced the Dutch to turn to Japan for its supply of porcelain. As such, the designs produced were mostly copied from contemporary Chinese porcelain and were modified to suit the markets. They also exported Japanese porcelain in the 17th and 18th centuries, some of which carried the letters VOC, which was the insignia of the Dutch East India Company. These porcelains were brought to Melaka via Batavia (now Jakarta). The colourful Dutch porcelain wares found in Holland had mostly been meant for the Southeast Asian markets.
MING WARES
The ceramics industry began in China during the Shang Dynasty (1523-1038 B.C.) Since then, ceramics has been produced by the dynasties, which followed until it achieved high quality and fame throughout the Asian continent. The high quality blue-and-white Ming porcelains (1368- 1644) were too famous.
During the Yuan Dynasty (1279 – 1368), porcelain was exported to the rest of Asia, but under the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the industry came under royal patronage. Laws were enacted to bring foreign traders under direct court control, resulting in the production of Ming wares with foreign scripts as requested by the foreigners.
During the Ming Dynasty, the porcelain wares were placed under several categories so as to regulate the standards of the industry. There were three categories of Ming porcelain, official/imperial, popular and export. The official/imperial wares were manufactured only in special kilns to cater solely for palace use and were of high quality. The popular wares were supposedly produced only for domestic consumption but were also illegally exported. The export wares were specifically made based on the orders of foreigners. It was obvious that smuggling had occurred, as there were findings of wares of all three categories in places outside China. Ming porcelain was exported to the Malay Peninsular.
Through the Chinese sea merchants, during the Melaka Sultanate, relations between Melaka and China became closer. This enabled Melaka to become the export and import centre of Ming wares for the region as well as for the Indian and Arabian sub-continents.
When the Portuguese conquered Melaka in 1511, Melaka continued to be the centre of the Ming porcelain industry. Ming wares were sent to European markets through Melaka and Lisbon. Later, the Dutch took over the marketing of Ming wares to Europe, calling it ‘kreak’ ware. During the mid 17th century, the Ming porcelain industry was badly affected by the dynasty wars in China.
NYONYA WARES
Their bright colour combinations of pink, yellow, dark blue and green can easily distinguish Nyonya wares. The designs generally found on Nyonya wares are fish, phoenixes, flowers such as roses and chrysanthemums and other favoured animals.
Nyonya wares were first produced during the late 18th century. They were specially made on consignment for the Straits-born Chinese of Melaka, and later of Singapore, known as Baba-Nyonya. Hence, it is common to find the surnames of the families on the wares. They were not meant for daily use but were only for celebrations and family gatherings.
These highly treasured wares were produced in Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces of China. Nyonya wares come in different shapes and sizes but were mainly dining sets, tea sets, vases and other specially ordered trinket boxes, powder cases and other personal items. The deterioration of their quality as a result of the political upheaval during the late Ching era and competition from European ceramics finally extinct the Nyonya ware industry.
CHING WARES
The takeover of China by the Manchus from Northeast Manchuria saw the start of the last imperial dynasty and the last great period of ceramic production. The blue and white wares reached technical perfection; only to gradually lose popularity later to multicoloured decorated wares.
Large quantities of blue and white Ching wares were exported to Europe during the 17th and 18th century as the demand from Europeans for them grew. At that time, European powers controlled many of Southeast Asian countries. The Europeans who referred to them simply as ‘China’ considered the Ching wares fashionable and prestigious items.
After 1795, internal strife, foreign intervention and competition from overseas ceramics industries affected the quality of the Ching wares. It recovered in 1864, but the porcelain industry no longer concentrated on the production of blue and white wares but also produced decorated colourful wares to cater to the needs of overseas Chinese. These colourful ceramics came to be known as Nyonya and Bencharong wares. Many of them are excellent quality and are prized items today. The fall of the Ching dynasty in 1912 ended the era of the porcelain industry in China.
THE DISCOVERY OF AN EARTHENWARE JAR CONTAINING HUMAN BONES
On 15th December 2008, the villagers from Kampung Tengah, Bukit Rambai, Melaka had found four earthenware jars which contained pieces of bone fragments and were believed had been used by Chinese people around 300 years ago. The all four earthenware jars were buried in lines at a private land. Three out of four of them were covered with three pieces of ceramic plates. The design of Chinese calligraphy note dated on 1702 also found at one of them. As the matter of fact, the unique lion head carved on the earthenware jar showed the artifact was from China.
According to the historical record, the body burial in earthenware jar usually found in China and some parts in Sabah and Sarawak. This unique ceremony of burial was first time found in Melaka. Thus, it might be the evidence that it was used as the Chinese cemetery many years ago. It is also a high possibility that the area was occupied by the Chinese people and became their settlement in accordance with the location of the earthenware jars were discovered as just 200 meters away from the Chinese cemeteries.
Melaka Museums Corporation (PERZIM) in cooperation with Malaysia Museums Department and National Heritage Department together also with University of Science Malaysia (USM) will be conducting a further investigation including “carbon dating” test to study the real information regarding the origins of the earthenware jars that were found.
THE KERUBONG FINDINGS
The ceramic wares including the earthenware, and a grinder base with the grinder exhibited in this showcase were found near the Kerubong area, situated about 13km from Melaka town. They were discovered by a contractor during the digging work in the 1960s, and since then, they have been displayed in the Melaka museum.
The ceramics were from the late Ming period, while the grinding base and grinder were used for the preparation of beauty care. The origins of the earthenware cannot be determined. All these artefacts were discovered in an interior area far from the Melaka fort.
During the Melaka Sultanate, there was a village yet destroyed by the Dutch in the Tampoi area nearby Kerubong. The Portuguese had built a church in Tampoi but the Dutch destroyed it in 1606. The attack on the village by either the Portuguese or the Dutch could have forced the villagers to flee. According to the custom then, people who left a village in a hurry would bury their personal belongings, with the hope that they could reclaim them later. When these items are not reclaimed for whatever reasons, they will remain buried until discovered at a later date.
