{"product_id":"9781462906772","title":"Spirit of Wood: The Art of Malay Woodcarving","description":"\u003cb\u003eWith dozens of beautiful photographs and extensive text, this Malaysian art book is a testament to the skill and spirituality of Malaysia's traditional woodcarvers.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWood has always played a significant role in the Malay world, including the Malay Peninsula, as a means of shelter, livelihood, comfort and convenience.  Among the living arts of Malaysia, woodcarving is one of the oldest, and for centuries woodcarvers enjoyed a prestige that few others did.  A master woodcarver was not simply an artist.  He had a mystical affinity with his material, and through his art he could unlock, channel and enhance the \u003ci\u003esemangat\u003c\/i\u003e, or life force, inherent in the wood.  His works ere sought after not only for their beauty, but also for the symbolic power and meaning they embodied, in particular the \u003ci\u003ekeris\u003c\/i\u003e, considered the pinnacle of woodcarver's art.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEach of the pieces in this catalog of Malaysian art illustrates a specific motif, use of a pattern or form, or interpretation of a legend.  The woodcarvings range from extremely important and rare pieces, such as royal ceremonial objects, to wood panels, household objects and elements of traditional Malay architecture.","brand":"Tuttle Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47171254059248,"sku":"9781462906772","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781462906772_p0.jpg?v=1763679795","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781462906772","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}