Rangkiang

Rangkiang (also lumbuang) is a granary or rice barn that the Minangkabau people used to keep rice in. The rangkiang is a distinctive feature of Minangkabau architecture. The structure is traditionally found in the courtyard of a '' rumah gadang'', the traditional house of Minangkabau people.

Etymology

The word ''rangkiang'' is a shortened version from the Minangkabau word ''"ruang hyang (Dewi Sri)"'' ("room of goddess (Dewi Sri)"), the goddess of rice.

Architecture

A ''rangkiang'' is a structure built over a raised pile foundation, an Austronesian legacy that can be found anywhere else in Indonesia. It has a distinguished roof shape known as ''gonjong'' ("spired") roofs, similar to a Minangkabau traditional house, the ''rumah gadang''. The ''gonjong'' roof symbolically identifies it with buffalo horns. Similar to the ''rumah gadang'', the roof of a rangkiang is traditionally a thatched roof made of palm fibre (''ijuk''), and it is also similarly decorated. The only opening to a ''rangkiang'' is a small rectangular hatch high up in the gable end, into which the harvested rice is placed. A ladder is required to reach this hatch.

A ''rangkiang'' is traditionally built on the courtyard of a ''rumah gadang''. There are three types of ''rangkiang''s according to its function. A ''rangkiang'' which is used to store rice that is to be consumed by the inhabitants of the house is known as ''si bayau-bayau''. This ''rangkiang'', the largest of all ''rangkiang'', is traditionally supported by a minimum of six poles; in the case of a royal palace —such as the ''rangkiang'' of the Pagaruyung Palace— it can be supported by as many as twelve poles. This ''rangkiang'' is traditionally located at the right end of a ''rumah gadang'''s courtyard.

Another type of ''rangkiang'' is ''si tinjau lauik'' ("the one that explores the sea"). It is used to keep rice that is to be sold. The resulting money is used to buy things that the family cannot produce themselves. This ''rangkiang'' is traditionally located in the middle of a ''rumah gadang'''s courtyard. It is supported by four poles.

Another type of ''rangkiang'' is the ''si tanggung lapar'' or ''si tangguang lapa'' or ''si tangka lapa'' ("the one that supports hunger"), which is used to store surplus rice for use in times of scarcity. This type of rangkiang is traditionally positioned at the left end of a ''rumah gadang'' courtyard. It is basically identical to the ''si tinjau laut'', being supported by four poles.

Other ''rangkiang'', known as ''rangkiang kaciak'' ("little granary"), is used to keep rice seedlings (''padi abuan'') for agricultural purpose. This ''rangkiang'' used a simple gable roof instead of the elaborate Minangkabau roof form, thus it looks the simplest of all ''rangkiangs''.

The number of ''rangkiang'', as well as the degree of ornaments that decorates the ''rumah gadang'', shows the wealth of the owner. The more ''rangkiang'' possessed by a family, the more prestigious the owner is.

Modern use

A facade of a Minangkabau restaurant is sometimes decorated with a single ''gonjong'' roof which represents the roof of a ''rangkiang'' as a symbol of rice and food provision for people.

See also

* Rice barn
* Leuit
* Rumah gadang

References

Works cited

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External links

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{{Indonesian architecture

Rumah adat
Granaries
Minangkabau
Architecture in Indonesia
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