Top Maker Spins Success Story

By Rohaiza Ab Rahman KOTA BHARU (Kelantan), Feb 27 (Bernama) -- More than three decades ago, Ismail Mohamed gave up his secure job as an officer at a telecommunications company to pursue his family legacy. Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather who were well-known top (gasing) makers and spinners in Kelantan state, Ismail, 63, put his heart and soul into keeping the family tradition alive.  Today, the father-of-five has earned a reputation for being at the top of his game. He is not only an expert at making the saucer-shaped top (gasing piring) that Kelantan is famous for but a champion spinner as well and he certainly has no regrets trading his full-time job for something he had regarded as a hobby since young. Ismail, who is better known by his moniker Abang Nor Gasing, has produced more than 5,000 gasing piringsince 1984 when he took over the family trade after his father passed away. "Top spinning is very close to my heart as both my father and grandfather were top makers and spinners. Since young, I was exposed to this traditional game and as I grew older I became more and more interested in it," he told Bernama, when met at his home at Kampung Padang Bemban, here, where his workshop is located. Since becoming a gasing craftsman, Ismail has been having his hands full catering to orders from various parties, including government departments. His handcrafted tops are priced at RM350 to as high as RM5,000 apiece depending on their design. HELPING TO KEEP THE ART ALIVE To ensure that the unique traditional art of top spinning remains alive, Ismail is doing his part by willingly sharing his knowledge and expertise in the art of making and spinning the gasing piring. Every year, university students carrying out research on traditional games would visit him at his workshop to learn about top spinning. He also trains and grooms new talent who show an interest in top spinning. However, not everyone can master the skills required to create a good top or become an outstanding gasingpiring spinner, he said. While a keen interest in the game is an important prerequisite, the player must also have the dexterity to launch his top in such a way that it falls directly into the hands of the "scooper" (the person who catches the "flying" top). And, how long the top will continue whirling is the subsequent part of the game.  "Scooping the gasing piring after it is launched is not an easy task as the disc can weigh as much as four kilogrammes," Ismail said, adding that it can only be accomplished by a player who is skilled and focused. Ismail, who is often invited to participate in top-spinning competitions in Malaysia and even overseas, said he has participated in contests where his handmade tops have spun non-stop for nearly three hours. This is why his opponents view him with much trepidation when he turns up for gasing competitions as he always emerges the champion. "Since I'm the one always winning, other top spinners don't want me to participate in contests. Hence, these days I prefer to concentrate on making tops and fulfilling invitations to hold (top-spinning) demonstrations," he said. TEN TOPS A MONTH Sharing his know-how of top making, Ismail said being born in a family with creativity running in their blood would give one an advantage in producing high-quality gasing piring.   "While skills can be sharpened, natural talent and creativity are inherent in those who are born with an artistic streak," he said. One also has to be meticulous and possess a great deal of patience to ensure that the top created is well aligned, neat and artistic-looking.  While the hallmark of a well-built gasing piring is its ability to spin for hours, the disc's other important aspects are its wood grain which has to look appealing and the accessory covering the crown in the centre of the disc which has to be embellished with fine designs. The most exclusive, and also expensive, gasing piring made by Ismail has to be the one with its crown featuring gold embellishments and studded with eight pieces of glittering diamonds. This particular gasing, which of course has turned out to be an attention-grabber, is not for sale and it has pride of place in Ismail's personal collection of tops. Ismail said he only makes about 10 tops a month to ensure their exclusivity. Recapping the history of the Malay traditional game, he said it was believed to have been introduced when Kelantan was ruled by Raja Jembal during the 17th century. "It is believed that the people would indulge in top-spinning activities at the end of the padi harvesting season," he said, adding that many of those who championed the game hailed from areas that used to be under the administration of Raja Jembal, starting from Kampung Kedai Lalat and right up to Kampung Kemumin, Sabak, Binjai, Bukit Marak Melor, Pasir Puteh and Jertih. Being a heritage of the state, it would be a big loss if the art was not perpetuated, said Ismail. He has also trained five of his nephews to spin tops and they have formed a team called Kubang Che Ayu.  "I'm doing this to ensure that this state's traditional Malay heritage does not disappear with the passage of time," he added. -- BERNAMA