Draft:Straits and Oriental Museum

• Comment: more citations needed; "Getting Here" should be at most a public-transit related bit of information in the infobox; "Collections" has no citations Snowman304|talk 03:27, 23 October 2024 (UTC)

• Comment: Needs more references from secondary sources like the Buletin Mutiara source. Bkissin (talk) 15:14, 28 September 2024 (UTC)

---

Straits and Oriental Museum 海峡与东方博物馆
Front facade of the Straits and Oriental Museum
Location in George Town's UNESCO World Heritage Site (purple)
General information
Type	Historic house museum
Architectural style	Straits Chinese Eclectic
Address	20 Stewart Lane, 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Town or city	George Town, Penang
Country	Malaysia
Coordinates	| coordinates = 5.25089°N 100.20163°E / 5.25089; 100.20163
Current tenants	Ming Museum Sdn. Bhd.
Technical details
Floor count	2
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iii, iv
Designated	2008 (32nd session)
Reference no.	1223
Region	Asia-Pacific

The Straits and Oriental Museum in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, is the first private museum in Penang to showcase a unique collection of pottery from the Han up to the Qing Dynasty. Shipwreck artefacts excavated around the Terengganu and South China Sea marine regions are also displayed.

The highlights of the collections are the Ming blue and white pottery and Kraak porcelain, which were massively produced and exported internationally, especially to the European region. Shipwreck artefacts from the Wanli, Royal Nanhai, and Desaru Shipwrecks are also being displayed.

The museum showcases these artefacts and intricately weaves the narrative of how ceramics were pivotal in shaping Malaysian Maritime History. This not only offers visitors a profound insight into these artefacts' cultural and historical significance but also instills a sense of appreciation and respect for the museum's role in preserving and presenting history.

The museum, which opened in 2022 in St. Jo's Novitiate at the Penang Paragon Mall, has a rich history. It later moved to its current venue at 20 Stewart Lane, George Town, a location steeped in history. This move further solidified the museum's role in connecting visitors to the past.

The Building

The plaque of the Museum.

The museum is housed inside a two stories "Early Straits" Eclectic pre-war shop house with two Chinese air vent in the front that resembles a banana leaf (芭蕉叶 ) which has auspicious meaning of "fanning in good luck" in Chinese culture and Feng shui.

At the entrance is a five-foot way (pavement) decorated with beautiful floral tiles.The carved timber ventilated doors are decorated with Chinese carvings such as floral, vase and scrolls to symbolize good blessings and fortunes. There are also granite edge and step with open drain.

The windows on the second floor is called the louver shutter which is also features that are commonly seen in these colonial architecture.

The building used to housed The Tye Clan Association of Penang (马来西亚戴氏家族会) previously.

Collections

• Tang and Sui Dynasty Pottery Figurine

Pottery figurines are mostly grave goods items that were being excavated through archaeology expeditions. They were being placed to pleased the deceased and also to replaced the ruthless ancient customs of human premature burial that were being practiced in ancient times.

• 
  Tang Dynasty Court Lady with a fallen horse hairstyle (堕马髻) wearing a male's round collar robe and belt.
• 
  Pottery figurine of a rider and a horse which shows the significance of animals as transportation and vehicle for mobility.

• Tangsancai (唐三彩)

The Tang Tri-color glaze is a very typical glaze during that era that shows the color of yellow, green and brown, which would last longer than organic paints.

• 
  Sancai Glaze Figure of a Lokapala which were placed to guard the tomb, shows the influence of both Hinduism and Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty society.
• 
  Sancai Glaze Horse

• Song Ceramics and Porcelain

Porcelain and ceramics in the Song Dynasty can be categorized into two, which is the folk kiln and the imperial kilns. There are five official kilns which are the Ru Kiln, Guan Kiln, Ge Kiln, Ding Kiln, Jun Kiln and also Longquan celadon. The materials they used for pottery making also opened up more varieties of porcelains. The Kaolinite that mostly found in Jingdezhen (景德镇), the Jiangxi province of China is used to produce a much more lightweight and thin porcelains which gives it a much more exquisite design.

• 
  The discover of Kaolinite leads to a much variety of porcelain goods especially less dense and lightweighted as well.
• 
  Tea bowls were being used in Song Dynasty based to their drinking method which includes the "grind and whisk" method. This drinking method were later continued by the Japanese in their tea ceremony.

• Kraak Ware

Produced in the late Ming dynasty during the reign of the Wanli emperor (1573-11620 CE) and later periods. These pieces were exported in considerable quantities to Europe and were so popular that they were depicted in many European paintings. The arrangement of decorative panels distinguishes Kraak porcelain, and the design is called a medallion. It is generally accepted that this type of porcelain got its name after the Carrack ships, the first Portuguese vessels that carried these pieces from China to Europe. However, it is also suggest that the Dutch verb "kraken", which means to break , could be possible origin for the name - Kraak porcelain, which is pertinent since porcelain does break. Historically, Kraak porcelain exports are evidence of China's colossal impact on the ceramics trade industry and their capability to cater to such high-driving demands.

• 
  Large surface plate were made to suit the western eating habits, but Chinese elements motifs were incorporated as well.
• 
  Ming White and Blue porcelains were often found inside European shipwrecks as it is one of the most welcomed oriental goods to the western societies.
• 
  Kraak porcelain plate with birds and floral motifs, decorated at the rim are artemisia leaf that according to Chinese beliefs were used to ward of bad spirits and sunflowers.

• Fermille Rose (Fencai)

Fencai debuted during the mid-Kangxi period of the Qing dynasty. It is also known as "soft colors" because of the well-blended soft color palettes that create a rich layers and depth.

A mixture of opaque white enamel (lead arsenate) known as "poli bai", meaning "glassy white ", enables painters to blend tints to create various shades and hues. As a result, Fencai ware achieved a greater range of colour and tone than was possible before, enabling depiction of more complex images like flowers, figures, and landscapes. Furthermore, paintings created with the Fencai technique can express aesthetics like depth of light and shadow and colour gradients, making them most influential and popular type of polychrome in the Qing Dynasty.

• 
  The porcelain mark Da Ya Zhai, also known as the Studio of Greater Odes, has been linked to the Dowager Empress Cixi, who was a powerful figure in the late Qing dynasty in China.
• 
  Peranakan porcelain tea bowl and lid with floral and birds motifs.

• Kamcheng

The Kamcheng (盖盅) is a nyonya porcelain ware that is part of the Straits Chinese porcelains which are not only bright and colorful but also specifically being used during festive occasions like Chinese New Years and weddings.

The origin of the word "Kamcheng" is uncertain. However, it has its roots in the Hokkien term for 'covered jar' or more literally, 'covered teacups';and 'gaizhong' (盖盅) in Mandarin.

Kamchengs are typically decorated with symbolic motifs. To name a few, it includes the phoenix and peony, decorative bands with the auspicious Eight Buddhist Emblems around the rim of the cover, and lotus petals panels around the foot of the jar.

These distinctive jars come with domed covers, and while the larger ones are crowned with a Buddhist lion-dog, the smaller ones appear with a finial in the form of a peach.

The Kamcheng serves various functions, and it comes in a wide variety of sizes and colors. It is used as storage for drinking water, soup, desserts, and pickles for special occasions. The cute miniature versions were used as cosmetic containers, while in contrast, the largest ones were reportedly used as decorative or status symbols for wealthy families.

• 
  Kamcheng with florals and pomegranate motifs that symbolizes fertility in Chinese cultures.

Exhibitions

• The Golden Realm of Myanmar Special Exhibition

Award and Recognition

The museum is certified by the Penang State Museum Board (PSMP) under the Penang Museum Board Enactment 2020. Besides, the musuem was also awarded Silver award in the Man Made Tourism category of Malaysia Tourism Quality Assurance by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

Getting Here

The Straits and Oriental Museum is situated at the junction of Stewart Lane and Chulia Lane, which is also at the back of the Temple of Goddess of Mercy.

By Bus

• Board the Penang Rapid bus 101, 202, 201, 206, and stop at the Love Lane Station, walk in Chulia Lane towards the end.
• Board the Penang Rapid bus 502 and stop at Padang SMK Convent, walk through Love Lane and turn left to Stewart Lane at the junction.

Parking Area

Public parking areas are available around the museum.

• RM 0.80 per hour
• RM 6.00 per day

Nearby Attractions

Visit these attractions located around the area while you are there. They are:

• Kapitan Keling Mosque
• Goddess of Mercy Temple
• Pinang Peranakan Mansion
• St George Anglican, Church
• Church of the Assumption, Penang
• Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Penang

External links

• Penang Straits and Oriental Museum
• Penang Launches Its First Private Museum at Gurney Paragon Mall |
• Pinang Peranakan Mansion