On Tues, February 6, the national Wau competition began. The Wau kite flying and judging took place on one part of the field, and on another were the tents where master kite makers did demonstrations of Wau kite construction. During these three days we learned a great deal about Wau construction and design. We were especially interested in the process of judging the design and artwork on the kites. A substantial part of the judging of a kite is based on the artistic design. We spent several hours one afternoon with the senior judge learning how the artwork is judged.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wau bulanMoon Kite |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wau jala budiWoman Kite |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wau kuchingCat Kite |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wau merakPeacock Kite |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All of these kites, except the Wau barat, are made by gluing cut out layers on top of each other. It is almost a reverse appliqué method. Designs are traced onto the paper, the paper is carefully cut out with a sharp knife, then the cutout sections are pasted. By using different colors of shiny foil paper, the patterns emerge. The Wau barat kites, which resemble a wider version of the Wau bulan are only painted rather than layers of glued paper. Since the Wau barat kites are painted, the design work can be more creative and is less formalized by tradition. These kites are able to fly in less wind and are named the early morning kite, referring to the time of day when the wind is lightest. (Special thanks here to David Wagner for helping with the information on the Malaysian kites. He and Tal Streeter are completing a book about the Malaysian kites, so look forward to seeing this book soon). Judging starts with the Wau bulan category first, and the kites are judged to be A, B or C on the shape and overall craftsmanship of the kite. Better kites have the back more opaque so you cannot see the detail of the cutout design work from the back. The judges go through each category several times, often reevaluating specific kites once the A, B or C group has been judged. The kites are scored on a 1-20 basis, with the A category naturally having the higher scores. The top ones of the art and construction judging are then judged on the basis of their ability to fly and their hummers. Wau kites must follow a traditional style of artwork in which a vine comes out of a vase at the base or tail of the kite. The pattern must include leaves and flowers. The vine signifies the course of a man's life and the flowers are the women. When the flowers are in bud form, it symbolizes a young woman. The judge told us that nowadays the kite makers often picture the flowers from the front, which is simpler and easier to draw. He thought it was analogous to the fact that woman today were more direct and looked you in the face. In the older kites, flowers were drawn from the side and back, representing the shy and more reserved way women acted in earlier times. How the leaves are shaded is a considered too, showing how the leaves turn in the wind. On better kites, there are two or more tones in the coloration. The more meandering the vine is drawn, representing the twists and turns of life, the more interesting is the person's life. In the center of the kite is a large central flower, called the ibu or mother of all life, which looks like a mandala and is a required element in the traditional design. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The connection to the vine is hidden and the flower is often a complex geometric design. The wings of the kites have an open area and inset in this area are designs of a more expressionist nature. More freedom is permitted in the design of this area than elsewhere in the kite. The choice of colors is very important. If the colors clash or are more contrasting, the kite is considered not as good quality. A better quality kite has harmonious colors, representing the inner state of the kite maker. If the kite is colored with bright reds and contrasting blues, then it means the kite maker might be quick to anger and more emotional. A kite with shades of blues and purples, or colors in soft harmony, indicates a kite maker with a more peaceful nature. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kite makers demonstrating the construction of traditional Wau kites |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Festival Continued with International Kite Fliers |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||