The origin of labu sayong

 Hello everyone. Thank you for coming to my blog! Before exploring other things inside this blog, I would like to explain what is 'Labu Sayong'. bear with me ^_^

                                                                    from Google 

Labu Sayong is a gourd-shaped pitcher or jars that traditionally used to store water. Usually, the water stored will always cool (just like if you put it inside an electronic fridge). Nowadays, labu sayong can be found as decorative pieces in many homes as well as preferred storage for drinking water.

        It was believed that labu sayong making was initiated by Tuk Muluk, an old man that came from the Minangkabau area in Sumatera to Perak. He introduced clay pottery around 1810 during the reign of Sultan Abdul Malik Mansur Syah. He contributed his skills in making “labu sayong” to the residents of Kampung Kepala Bendang, Sayong.

       Over the time, the residents become skillful and later it was passed on the present generation. It was one of the earliest Malaya’s handicraft during civilization.

Where did labu sayong came from?

It was early originated in Kampung Kepala Bendang, Sayong, Kuala Kangsar. This town is well-known with small enterprises that specialize in pottery making especially labu sayong.

The majority of people there are Malay people. Most of them are highly skills craftsmen. The people are brought by the Sultan during old times from Hilir Perak to Kuala Kangsar due to replacement of the palace and also assassination of J.W.W. Birch in 1875 in Pasir Salak. All of them are expert in many arts including ceramic and furniture arts.

Sayong region is long known to possess a high-quality clay soil, hence a good quality labu sayong came from there. The art of pottery making in Perak was indigenous to the Malays. Usually, the best clay soil can be found along the banks of the Perak River, considering the moisture of the soil there. Quality clay is a must in pottery production, a highly skilled craftmen should know every details of the process precisely to produce excellent labu sayong.

Most people there own are a labu sayong shop. Besides that, their main income are mostly from agriculture. This is because Sayong possesses several natural resources such as paddy, latex and kelapa sawit.

 I have interviewed an adiguru kraf, Encik Zulkafly bin Pandak Bedin or he prefers to be called as Cik Nor. He is a kind old man and I felt like talking to my atuk. He learnt ceramic arts from generation to generation, and told me that labu sayong was believed came from a royal generation. 

That’s the origin of Labu Sayong and a brief story of the region where it came from as well as their community.