Malaysia · Basketry / Woven Mat
Tikar Mengkuang / Anyaman Mengkuang
Mengkuang mat weaving is the traditional pandanus and pandan leaf plaiting tradition of the Malaysian East Coast — practiced in Kelantan, Terengganu, and Pahang by Malay women. The tradition uses the broad leaves of the mengkuang plant (Pandanus atrocarpus) or screw pine (Pandanus tectorius), split into strips and woven in complex twill patterns. The most technically demanding form is the kelerai technique — a tight, waterproof hexagonal or complex geometric twill that produces mats of extraordinary density and durability. Cik Kalsom, a Terengganu mat weaver, was awarded the Adiguru title in 2018 for her mastery of the kelerai technique — the highest craft recognition in Malaysia. The kelerai pattern requires managing 12–20 interlacing strips simultaneously in a sequence that produces the hexagonal geometry without any counting tool.
Risk level: Endangered · Not inscribed
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