Pertala Indera Boat : Historical and Cultural Aspects of Bird-Themed Boats in Kelantan, Malaysia＜Special Theme : Material Cultural Studies on Boats and Fishing Tools Based on the Museum Collections and Fieldwork＞

Pertala Indera boats are known as traditional watercraft with an important relation to Malay historical circumcision ceremonies conducted along the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, especially in the state of Kelantan. The examination described in this paper correlates the historical culture of bird-themed boats that are prominent in the Kelantan palace while touching on aspects of the decorative properties of the boat, particularly the bow, which extends to a bird-like head. This explanation presents a new discovery that the Pertala Indera boat collections at both the Malaysian Museums and National Museum of Ethnology in Japan (Minpaku) include model boats adapted from the original boat used in the early 20th century. They come with a few minute differences such as their size, decoration, carving motifs, and usage. Most were built in the 1980s. The paper also presents discussion of the interesting collection of Pertala Indera boats at the Minpaku and the possible new origin of this boat as Kelantan based on the author’s interview surveys. Based on findings from fieldwork and contact with people across the Kelantan River, especially during the ‘bah’ (flood) season, some evidence suggests Pertala Indera boats as important objects in the cultural history of Kelantan, but they were never used for circumcision ceremonies for the royal family of Kelantan unless a royal boat was used only once in the history of the Malay Sultanate of Kelantan. However, to date, the existence of Pertala Indera boats is still regarded as important material evidence symbolizing the cultural glory of the reign of Sultan Muhammad IV in the early 20th century and subsequent rulers.