Model fishing boat; kolek selat (local name). Used for small scale fishing or for ferry work in the Malay Peninsula. The hull is double-ended and constructed from wooden carvel (flush laid) planking dowelled to a series of wooden frames. The model contains a straight keel, stem and stern posts, stringers strengthening the internal frame and an end board / thwart at the stem. Propulsion would be by oar implied through the four rowlocks on the model.
Kolek selat is just one of many names this boat may be referred to depending on the region. It has been described by Gibson-Hill as being essentially a Chinese owned and built boat but can be found around Singapore, the Johore Straits and generally the Malay Peninsula. This model was acquired from the Colonial and Indian Exhibition which was held in South Kensington in 1886. See: Gibson-Hill, C. 1950. The Fishing Boats Operated from Singapore Island. JMBRAS 23(3): 148-170 in Barlow, H. ed. 2009. Boats, boat building and fishing in Malaysia Malaysia: The Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society
