Design: Kalae and Brali

    Kalae and Brali is a decoration that is located at the front sprocket on top of the roof. Kalae is a decoration with a shape of an X or V, which symbolizes the horns of water buffalos. It is carved in different patterns: three birds, floral patterns, and clouds. The shape differs from the curvy, crossed, and straight. While brali is a decoration with a Jedi-like shape that is located on top in front and at the back of the gable roof.

    The decoration of the gable roof in Indonesia has an actual head and horns of the buffalo sitting on top of the gable roof. It is believed that the buffalo horns will protect the people of the house from evil spirits and bring good luck to the people living in the house. Moreover, the size of the horns of the buffalo also demonstrates the social status of the house owner within their tribe. The design was then influenced to the Southern Laos houses, which are the ‘kalae’ that is made of wood, and it is extended and intersected to form a V-shaped form on top of the gable roof. The design of the southern Laos house kalae is simple, it has a straight shape with a smooth surface, but it does not have any design patterns. The people believed that the kalae is meant to symbolize two birds that are used to scare away crows. 

    The design ornament ‘Kalae’ then was used as one of the distinctive features of the residential houses of the traditional northern Lanna house or the “Ruean Kalae” in Thailand. It is believed that during the Burmese occupation, they used kalae and put it on top of the roof to differentiate the Thai people from the Burmese people living in the area. The northern kalae is a wooden rack that is shaped like a cross overlapping on each other to form an X- shape attached to the ridge board. It is curvy with intricate floral and cloud carvings that is believed to be a symbol of livestock and drive away bad luck and attract good luck.

    Furthermore, Brali can be seen in Northeastern Thai houses. The Brali is flat and shaped straight with a pointy end attached in front of the gable roof and it is located on both sides of the roof, at the back and at the front of the gable roof. This shows and determines the social status of the house owner in the area.