Volume 8, Issue 2 Muse Sg | N• 30 N 30 Volume 8, Issue 2 Issn: 2424-7766
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VOLUME 8, ISSUE 2 MUSE SG | N• 30 N 30 VOLUME 8, ISSUE 2 ISSN: 2424-7766 Publisher National Heritage Board Foreword 61 Stamford Road, #03-08, Stamford Court, Singapore 178892 A museum, in many ways, represents the heart of a Chief Executive Officer community. Its artefacts are a collection of the people’s Rosa Daniel memories; echoes of stories waiting to be told. The combined Assistant Chief Executives effect is a space filled with wonder and imagination. Some Tan Boon Hui of the world’s largest museums can take days, even weeks, (Museums & Programmes) to explore. In our hectic, hyper-connected lives, such Alvin Tan opportunities to unplug and retreat deep within ourselves are (Policy & Development) not only rare, but treasured today more so than ever. MUSE SG team In Singapore, there are more than 50 museums — among them, the iconic National Museum and Asian Civilisations Museum. Editor-in-chief Sim Wan Hui Their smaller counterparts — the Singapore Philatelic Museum and the MINT Museum of Toys, to name a couple — Managing Editor continue to draw niche audiences year after year. Take a look David Chew at the directory of museums at the back of this issue for unique Design Consultant and fascinating places to explore with your loved ones. Ridzwan Ali Editorial Managers To some, it will seem as if Singapore’s museums have Lawrence Low undergone a proliferation of late. Apart from the new Maggie Tan $530-million National Gallery due to open in October, the Editorial Assistant year has already welcomed three new additions to the scene: Nicole Cheng The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, the Indian Layout Heritage Centre, and the Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris. Leow Yuankai Benjamin Xue In fact the push to supercharge the nation’s museums and Copy-editing arts scene could be said to have begun in 2006, when the Yen Feng National Museum was re-opened and re-positioned not only Printing as a museum of Singapore history, but a space for major, Hobee Print Pte Ltd international “blockbuster” exhibitions. Exhibitions from major museums including the British Museum and Musee du Contributors David Chew Louvre were showcased in our museums. Experts in related Jeff Chong fields, including curatorship and conservation, were groomed. Priscilla Chua People started taking the “business” of museums more Reena Devi Nalina Gopal seriously. You can read more about this in our cover story, Nurliyana Halid Museums in Singapore — A Short History, on page 18. Dr John Kwok Carolyn Lim Ian Liu At the heart of it all is what these new museums and Ian Tan exhibitions have in common: the ability to draw people into an John Teo Stefanie Tham oasis of beauty, and a shared sense of the past. Museums are, Kennie Ting as our Editor in his essay, Stepping Through Museums (page Jackie Yoong 26), puts it: where “knowledge, aesthetics and storytelling Front Cover Credits merge and meld into one”. The exterior of Raffles Museum, 1950s. Collection of National MUSE SG team Museum of Singapore. If you have any feedback, please Epergne, 1860. Silver. Collection of the Tan family. email [email protected] or Currently on display at Great Peranakans: Fifty Remarkable Lives at the Peranakan Museum. go to www.nhb.gov.sg 1 MUSE SG | N• 30 CONTENTS 05 11 17 Great Peranakans WE: Defining Stories Neil Humphreys Fifty Remarkable Lives Building Our Home Saving A Sexier Island 18 26 28 Museums in Stepping Through Indian Heritage Singapore Museums Centre WE A Short History A Personal Journey Our Community Treasure 34 37 40 Mok Wei Wei Our Natural Into The West Finding The Balance Heritage Jurong Heritage Trail Lee Kong Chian Natural LOVE History Museum Sweet Jasmine Elephant Retail Price 47 50 51 $79.00 The Dragon Kiln Raja Mohamad Lim Chen Sian Breathes Heritage On Film Digging For Answers Thow Kwang Dragon Kiln THISThe new Museum Label shop at the newly opened Indian Heritage Centre offers quality gifts showcasing Indian heritage and culture. 52 56 58 The Dark Age of One City, Two Islamic Arts Indian Heritage Centre Nazarbattu Coasters Temasek Photographers Museum Malaysia Rediscovering Our Origins A Book Review An Oasis of Islamic Arts 5 Campbell Lane S209924, Tel: +65 6291 1633 Retail Price $20.00 Opening hours: Tuesdays to Thursdays | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays to Saturdays | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. 60 62 Sundays/Public Holidays* | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed on Mondays Fun with Heritage What’s On Enjoying Museums And July to September 2015 *The Indian Heritage Centre is closed on Public Holidays Heritage Trails With that fall on a Monday unless otherwise stated. Young Children All rights reserved. View of writers and contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission in writing from the Publisher and copyright owner. Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy of the information in this publication, the Publisher accepts no liability for damages by misinterpretation of information, expressed or implied, within the pages of the magazine. ©2015 NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD 2 3 MUSE SG | N• 30 GREAT PERANAKANS FIFTY REMARKABLE LIVES Text by John Teo and Jackie Yoong Tan Tock Seng, Goh Keng Swee came to Singapore to find a better became powerful compradors and and the late Lee Kuan Yew — all life. Women are outnumbered in the collaborators with the British and integral Singaporean icons, and all selected group for the exhibition, Dutch regimes. With the rise of of them “Peranakan”. The Malay which to a certain extent reflects the Chinese nationalism in the late word “Peranakan” commonly refers cloistered lives of nyonyas before the nineteenth century, some became to the creolized Chinese who lived twentieth century. But while the lives crucial players in Sun Yat Sen’s in Southeast Asia. The community of Peranakan women are not as well revolutionary activities both within gained a reputation with its close ties documented, their contributions are and outside China. Most leaders saw to the British under colonial rule, apparent in the community’s culture, no contradiction in supporting both but were also crucial players in Sun including in the aspects of dress, food, the British and the Chinese. World Yat Sen’s revolutionary activities residences, and social behaviour. War II marked a turning point, and of course, our country’s rise after which some Peranakans began since independence. In celebration Crossing Boundaries to champion for an independent of our country’s 50th anniversary, an The Peranakans’ influence spread Singapore and Malaya. The common exhibition showcasing the lives of 50 beyond the shores of Singapore. caricature of Peranakans as “King’s great Peranakans who contributed While the 50 featured in the Chinese” and their closeness to the significantly to the development of exhibition were selected based on British should not obscure their our nation can now be explored at the their contributions to Singapore, active engagement with Chinese Peranakan Museum. many were born and had made culture and the Chinese community. large impacts elsewhere. The Although many Peranakans ‘Great Men’ community’s strong connections to lost their fluency and literacy in In our reading of Singapore’s history, Malacca, Penang, and Java highlight Chinese, they nonetheless supported we must not forget the pivotal role Singapore’s comparative newness Chinese or bilingual education, Peranakans have played in shaping as an independent entity. From 1819 and founded Chinese newspapers. it — from the obscure kapitans, the to 1959, Singapore functioned as a Some Peranakans converted to baba captains of industry, to members British colony and the centrepiece Christianity from around 1900, while of our first Legislative Council. We of the Straits Settlements. Many others rediscovered Confucianism. must also dispel the myths and of the individuals who found their Peranakans carefully balanced the misconceptions surrounding the way to the young nation also had two empires of British and Chinese. community. The Peranakans were connections and family networks As they knelt loyally to receive not merely rich, English-educated throughout the region. visiting British royals, they also paid dilettantes who collaborated with homage to Qing dignitaries. As some the British and Dutch colonial The Peranakans were quick to adapt proudly received British decorations, masters, nor were they part of the to changing political circumstances. they also purchased overseas large migration of Chinese who During the colonial period, they Chinese honours. The featured 50 Peranakans in the exhibition 4 5 MUSE SG | N• 30 TAN TOCK SENG School visitors looking at artefacts and learning about Peranakan contributions The first community leader 1798–1850 Beyond their national contributions, One notable aspect of Peranakan Born in Malacca, Tan Tock Seng a study of institutional histories and families today is the extent of moved to Singapore in the year it memories related to the selected their knowledge of their past and was founded by the British. He sold Peranakans has also revealed their relations, whether by blood, produce before building a fortune as a individual legacies. These are marriage, or friendship. The landowner in partnership with documented in temples, associations, Peranakan Museum is grateful for J. H. Whitehead of Shaw, Whitehead churches, schools, hospitals, and their generosity in supporting this and Co. Tan was the first Asian to private families, as well as in libraries, exhibition and has been impressed by be appointed a Justice of the Peace archives, and museums. Many of the strong sense of community and in Singapore and is remembered the objects shown in the exhibition connectivity among Peranakans — principally for founding Singapore’s are hybrid in form and design.