Wau Bulan is a Symbol of the Unique Heritage

8/18/2019 Wau Bulan is a Symbol of the Unique Heritage

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Wau Bulan Is A Symbol Of The Unique Heritage | Nur Syamilah Yusof

Wau Bulan is an intricately designedMalaysian moon-kite. Known as 'wau' it is one

of the oldest traditional games in the Malayculture. !ancing in the a"ure skya wau or kite is accom#anied $y a hummer which#roduces %arious $u""ing and #urring

sounds when soaring u#on the wind. &hereare somethin g mystical a$out the way this kitedees gra%ity $y swaying and clim$ingslowly u# the sky.

(t is normally decorated with )oralmotifs and traditionally )own $y men in theMalaysian state of Kelantan. (t's one of

Malaysia's national sym$olsalong some others $eing theKris and hi$iscus. &here are many ty#e of Wau *kite+ inMalaysia each with its own s#eciality. Some of them are ,

Wau ala Budi , &akes on the cur%es of a women Wau Kuching , Wau Barat Wau Burung uyuh , &he $arred $usted /uail kite Wau Bulan , Moon kite named for its crescent like tail sha#e

0owe%er Wau Bulan is uni/ue to the east coast state of Kelantan andthe giant )ying kites are often as $ig as a man measuring a$out 1.2 metersfrom head to tail. (t is the largest kite around and is ca#a$le of soaring togreat heights. Not sur#risingly kite-)ying here is a s#ort for men as some

kites re/uire at least two grown u# men to handle. Most of the #atterns are

$ased on local )ora and fauna like $irds animals and )owers. (t is usuallytted with a stringed $ow which emits a soft wailing sound when )own.

3ach kite is la%ishly #asted with colourful designs and a work of art. Kites are)own throughout the year $ut es#ecially after the full moon har%est. (ndeedso remarka$le is the Wau Bulan that the national carrier the Malaysian4irline System has chosen it as its logo sym$oli"ing controlled )ight.

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N4M3 , N67 SY4M(840 B(N Y6S9:

“WAU

BULAN

IS A

SYMBOL

OF THE

UNIQUE

HERITAG

E”


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4nnually in Kelantan kite )ying acti%ity is organi"ed $y the res#ecti%eauthority at national and international le%el.

(t takes a$out = days to = weeks of skill and #atience to make a wau. &he frame is made from $am$oo stems which are s#lit into thin stri#s. &he

$est s#ecies of $am$oo for making kites is the thorn $am$oo which is strongyet )e>i$le. 3ach frame of a kite must ha%e a ?head@ a ?s#ine@ a ?waist@ a

?wing@ and a ?tail@. 4fter the frame is constructed designs are traced on atinted and shiny gla"ed #a#er and then carefully cut out and #asted on #a#erwhich is glued to the $am$oo frame. &he humming $ow is attached to thehead of the kite which is nally decorated with tassels at the tail to #roduce

the 'song' of the kite.

3ach wau is designed according to its own set of ela$orate motifsadhering to the traditional style of artwork e>#ected of each design.

4ll designs must ha%e a central )ower called the i$u from which %ines lea%es

and )owers s#rout. &he %ine sym$olises the #ath of a man's life andthe)owers the women. &he more meandering the %ines the more twists andturns in a man's life mean the more interesting is the #erson's life. (n older

kites )owers were de#icted from the side and $ack analogous to the shyand reser%ed nature of women in those days who ne%er looked at youdirectly in the face. Nowadays )owers are de#icted from the front. &hemiddle sections on the left and right sides of the wings are left de%oid of

#atterns to #ro%ide $alance with the decorated areas. &his em#ty area iscalled Agolden deerA and #re%ents the kite from $eing o%erwhelmed $y asurfeit of #atterns.

4#art from the #atterns choice of colours is also im#ortant indetermining /uality. ;olours that clash or showstrong contrast are frowned u#on.;om#lementing or harmonious colours re)ect on

the emotional state of the kite-maker. Soft colourssuch as shades of $lues and #ur#les indicate thatthe kite-maker has a serene nature.

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Wau Bulan is a Symbol of the Unique Heritage

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