The way of production and transferring arts and crafts heritage of the water village (Kampong Ayer) in Brunei Darussalam

Abstract

The objective of this qualitative research was to investigate the way of production and transferring arts and crafts heritage in the water village of Brunei Darussalam.  Data were collected from documents and from the field through observation and in-depth interview with a target group consisting of 3 craftsmen, 12 villagers, 2 village leaders and 4 government officials.  The data were validated and concluded using descriptive analysis. There are various types of arts and crafts in the water village such as basketry, metalwork and weaving.  Each type of handicraft has different methods of production.  An outstanding basketry is food-tray covers or Tudung Dulang made of leaves in the Pandanaceae family. Leaves are dried and dyed in different colors and woven into food covers.  The outstanding metalwork is the Kris made of a piece of iron that is heated and hammered repeatedly until it is flat, then it is shaped, filed, polished and immersed in vinegar before use.  The handle and sheath are made of fine-texture wood.  Woven fabrics are made by machine like other fabrics, but the outstanding brocade fabric is Jong Sarat.  Presently, this material is usually used in royal ceremonies like coronation and wedding ceremonies.  Sometimes it is used for decorating rooms or as souvenirs.  Arts and crafts are inherited in the family through trial and error, demonstration or transfer in the institutional system by the Brunei Arts and Handcraft Training Centre under the Royal Office with the aims to encourage people to have awareness and to inherit their cultural heritage, to provide free training courses for children and youths, to transfer knowledge to people in the water village to do related business, and to add value and make Brunei handicrafts better-known.