Uncovering hidden stories of textiles from the Malay world

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is a country rich in culture, but the full history of Malay textiles and how they came to be remain relatively unknown.

Noticing the gap in literature as compared to other Southeast Asian countries, art historian and Malay textile collector John Ang sought to uncover the hidden stories surrounding the Malay world.

“When you come to Malay textiles, there’s a dearth of knowledge about it and there’s a scarcity of written materials,” he told Astro AWANI. “I think there’s less than 20 books on Malay textiles, so that intrigues me.”'

Gemalai Seni Tekstil Melayu

Ang, who was born in Chicago to Singaporean parents, previously spent 30 years as the director of an art gallery in Taiwan where he began collecting textiles.

The Splendours of Malay World Textiles Exhibition, running from now until the end of October, displays his private collection and efforts of acquiring textiles from the Malay archipelago since 2014.

It features an impressive spread of 700 textiles divided into 12 major categories of textile techniques, including the best examples of songket, batik and anyaman.

Bringing the collection together has been no easy feat for Ang, having spent months painstakingly putting up each piece and matching the fabrics to accurately depict the time period it came from.

Ang said his collection was special in that it represents the Malay world, which includes comparative examples from different parts of the world such as India, Cambodia and Persia (Iran).

“Other museums just show highlights of a few textiles, whereas I’m showing the whole genre of Malay textiles in its entirety. When you see all the 12 categories you learn about different aspects of Malay culture.

“In its entirety, it can reveal and unravel certain aspects of Malay culture that we did not know about.”

The significance of Malay textiles, he said, was that the variety of patterns reflected the multitude of connections the Malay archipelago had with both western and east Asian countries in the past.

Ang recalled that he was initially charmed by the meaning behind the names and patterns on each Malay textile, as well as the unique stories they told.

Of the pieces on display, one of his favourites includes the kain panjang sembilan, of which the name refers to measurements using the arm’s length.

“It was used for the bersiram ceremony – a bathing ceremony to purify yourself before a coronation or wedding. It’s usually reserved for the royal families,” he explained.

“Nowadays it is just a white towel. The meaning of the cloth has been lost, so this exhibition uncovers what has not really been written.”

According to Ang, it was crucial for Malaysians to be more aware of their own textiles and weaving techniques, especially within the Malay community.

“To be aware of your textiles and culture is to be aware of who you are,” he said.

“When you look at the textiles, you can see that the Malays like to challenge themselves. They use techniques that are almost, in today’s thinking, impossible to make.”