'Lesung keropok' - Ancient way of preparing Fish Crackers

'Lesung Keropok' or the fish crackers hammer/grinder is another exquisite collection of mine.
While travelling to east Coast of Malaysia in March 2007, as usual I will be looking around for any object that the owner could have left underneath their house known as 'kolong'. I saw this house located in Marang along the coastal road. There I saw one long wooden hammer standing at the height of approximately 7 feet tall. It looks familiar but I need to make sure what I saw is actually the one I have been looking for. Stopped my car and ask the house owner what was that thing outside of his house doing?

Then he explained that it is known as 'anak lesung' or the hammer. I always love their hospitality. They are so generous and willing to help most of time. I was told that the 'Lesung' was used by his great great grandmother to process fish cracker. Probing further I get to understand that the 'Lesung' were inherited from his mother family which been passed on for a few generation and now it landed to him. It was a bit tough for us to locate the 'lesung' since he can't remember where it was but he knows that it is somewhere underneath his house.

I'd volunteered to scout and salvage the 'lesung' with him. Lastly we found it half buried underneath his house. It took us a while to excavate the 'lesung' since it has been there for quite a number of years. It took us almost an hour to salvage the 'lesung'.

It was in extremely bad condition but since it was made by jack fruit stamp. It manage to safe itself from being vacuum by the soil. Too bad it was also eaten by white ants but I must thank the white ants because it made the 'lesung' looks more authentic. I immediately clean the dirt from it.

I asked the owner how would he want the trade to be? He was a bit confuse when I asked him on how to trade. I then offered him RM50.00 for the lesung. He told me that he can't accept my offer since the 'lesung' is not in a good condition but I immediately interrupt his explanation and told him that any transaction has to be honoured with at least 'something' then I gave him rm50.00 note and told him he must respect my offer disregard the amount.Lastly he conditionally accepted RM40.00 for the 'lesung'.

I took it back home and start working on it like having a new born baby. Wash it again and again to assure there is no soil left on it. Trying to restore it back to it condition took a long time. Since I am inexperience refurbishing woodwork, It took me approximately 1 whole month to have it cleaned up and to have the wood grain appear.

It is now sitting proudly at a corner in my living room with some dried water pumpkin in its bowl.