JOURNAL OF ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE P-ISSN: 2086-2636 E-ISSN: 2356-4644 Journal Home Page: http://ejournal.uin-malang.ac.id/index.php/JIA Journal of Islamic Architecture, 6(4) December 2021 | 313 ISLAMIC INFLUENCE ON WOODCARVING MOTIFS IN JOHOR TRADITIONAL MALAY HOUSES | Received July 28th, 2021 | Accepted November 18th, 2021 | Available online December 15th, 2021 | | DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.18860/jia.v6i4.13028 | Hanita Yusof Architecture Department Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia Malaysia e-mail: hanita@uthm.edu.my Corresponding Author. Izudinshah Abd Wahab Architecture Department Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia Malaysia Nangkula Utaberta Architecture Department Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia Malaysia Azmal Sabil Architecture Department Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia Malaysia Nur Amalina Hanapi Architecture Department Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia Malaysia ABSTRACT Woodcarving motifs can be influenced by various aspects, including religions and beliefs. Malaysia is known for its cultural diversity and is rich with traditional heritage. Malay is one of the major ethnic groups in Malaysia and is considered as the majority of the country's population, contributing to the significant heritage, including art, decoration, and even architecture. Traditional woodcarving is an intricate Malay heritage and is the symbol of Malay art. A study on Malay woodcarvings is critically needed in order to know the influence that occurs on the selection of the motifs. It is such a waste to see our woodcarving heritage destroyed unappreciated and undocumented, especially on Johor woodcarvings, as many studies in other states have done. More and more traditional Johor Malay houses are being demolished day by day before we know the historical influence on the existence. The objective of this paper was to identify the woodcarving motifs found in Johor Malay houses and to identify their influence. Site visits were conducted in which the woodcarvings of 50 houses were examined, photographed, and documented. Interviews were also conducted with the house owners and the woodcarvers. The samples were analyzed, and the results were verified by experts. The results show that floral motifs lead the statistic, and the pumpkin motif, known as 'labu maya', takes the highest percentage of the overall motifs. It is concluded that the Islamic religion is the biggest influence that contributes to the findings. The findings also show that the 'labu maya' motif is the identity of the Johor woodcarving motifs. It is hoped that this study can bring recognition to Johor woodcarvings, and contribute valuable guides for woodcarvers to apply these motif typologies into their future works to sustain and cherish the Johor local identity. KEYWORDS: Wood Carving, Malay Woodcarving, Malay Woodcarving Motif, Islamic Motif, Johor Traditional House. INTRODUCTION Malaysia is one of the countries that possess various ethnics, has cultural diversity, and is rich with traditional heritage. Malay is one of the major ethnic groups in Malaysia and is considered as the majority of the country's population, which contributes to the signifcant heritage, including art, decoration, and even architecture. Traditional woodcarving is an intricate Malay heritage and is the symbol of Malay art. Woodcarving was created and designed to provide convenience and enhance the art of Malay culture [1]. Despite being an important element, woodcarving is on the brink of being disregarded due to opting for modern and more contemporary design. These practices pose a threat to the local identity and the historical value of the local heritage. Suppose such practices continue and the identity of the local heritage is not identifed and recorded. In that case, the traditional designs and local identity left by the local ancestors will eventually be lost. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the woodcarving motifs in Johor traditional houses and identify the category and their infuences. RESEARCH BACKGROUND Traditional Malay houses are commonly decorated with woodcarvings that have beautiful motifs, placements, and design compositions. According to Noor Hanita et al. [2], woodcarving revealed the identity of Malay culture that has been assimilated into the traditional or vernacular buildings to add the aesthetic value to its architecture. These woodcarvings represent the Malay culture and should be perceived, appreciated, and preserved. However, vast urbanization has created such a huge impact where the old houses were being renovated using modern elements and components due to the rapid development of architectural style and recent