The Peranakan Museum

 Southeast Asia has been a crossroads for trade since ancient times. Prevailing winds brought traders from distant lands to Southeast Asia. Some of these traders put down roots and married local women. Their descendants are the ancestors of the Peranakans. 

The Peranakan Museum showcases the world's finest and more comprehensive collection displayed in 10 galleries. Your eyes will be feasting to over thousands of spectacular artefacts - jewelries, costumes, furnitures, beadworks, porcelain and other Peranakan treasures. And you'll be having fun exploring through 20 multi-media stations and interactives.

The "peranakan" means "child of" or "born of" in the Malay speaking parts of Southeast Asia and is used ti refer to people of mixed ethnic origins. The museum is focused on the Peranakan Chinese who form the biggest number of Peranakans in the Southeast Asia, there are other communities of Peranakans such as the Jawi (Indian Muslim) and the Chitty Melaka (Indian).

a brief history of the Peranakans was showed in this mini-theater in the Gallery 1.

 The lobby will surprise you with this chandelier that was actually used during the one-woman play, Emily of Emerald Hill, that depicts the life of a Chinese Peranakan.Emily of Emerald Hill's collections are featured now on exhibit at the gallery.

 The second level is all about getting married over 12 days for the Peranakan tradition. What do rituals like the coming of age and the exchange of gifts (this luxurious gifts (dowry) from the bridegroom to the groom) mean to the Peranakans and let its visitor explore the significance of the 12 day peranakan wedding in these galleries. You will also see the museum's famous collection of Peranakan beadwork, an essential backdrop to the wedding celebration.

Nonyas were trained for married life from a young age. they were expected to devote long hours to perfect the art of beadwork and embroidery.

Written by Stella Koh in 1982, emily of emerald Hill tells the story of a Peranakan woman as she evolves from young bride to strong willed matriarch. Through its local subject matter, familiar characters and recognisable patterns of speech, the play expresses a strong Singaporean identity.

The principal character of Emily Gan was inspired by the experiences of the author growing up in a Peranakan household on Emerald Hill n Singapore.

 

The Peranakan experience will not be complete without a preview of the cuisine and Peranakan dining customs.At the Gallery, visitors will see the unique Tok Panjang porcelain dinner service for the traditional feast during weddings and special occasions.

If you want to visit the museum,

Peranakan Museum

39 Armenia Street

Singapore 179941

+65 6332 7591

Opening Hours:

Mon 1pm - 7pm

Tues - Sun 9am - 7pm

(to 9pm on Fridays)

Outside the Peranakan Museum is the SUBSTATION where artists

 Then I dropped by the Bookstore Cafe. Books and Coffee indeed comes in good pair. :)

Singapore Philately Museum

The Language of Philately

 Visiting the Singapore Philatelic Museum brought me back way elementary days when I started collecting stamps when I found out my Mom's stamp book. I then joined the young Philatelic Club in our school where I still clearly remembered we got to exchange stamps and the Disney Princess Collection my adviser gave me.

The Museum have 2 levels wherein the first level got 4 rooms. The Orange Room, where Philately was discussed and exploring its appeal among stamp lovers.

The Penny Black is the first postage stamp.

Bhutan issued postage stamps that were actually phonograph records.

Swarovskis on stamps.

Glow in the dark stamps

 In the Purple room, the museum let us peek behind the scenes of how stamps are created where there are 4 types on how: Typography, Intaglio, Photogravure and Lithography.

 

Pilipinas stamp with San Sebastian Basilica on it.

 The Green Room let its visitors explore what makes stamp collecting  the "king of hobbies and hobby of kings".

The room also showed its visitors the different stamps all over the world in a wooden panels.

Santas letter to the museum.

 At the atrium, there is an art exhibit, "A Peace of Art", where they used stamps as one of the artisans medium of their art piece. The exhibit started last May and will end up on July, 2012. 

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The Red Box was donated by Hong Kong

At Level 2, the Heritage Room was located where visitors can gain an insight into the lives of the different ethnic groups in the past.

One of the interactive display in the museum where it narrates the trading of the past to Singapore.

 The Room of Rarities are rare collection of Stamps and Covers. This room allows the visitors to marvel at Singapore's prize-winning collection of its stamps, history and pictures of the Singapore Post.

letter weighing scale

Stamp pad and metal stamp

Thumb print ink pad

Stamp Vending Machine

 "Spice is Nice" exhibit is located at the Gallery where it depicts the true expression of 'spice is life' in Singapore's food. The Gallery was transformed into a vessel and was soundscaped where visitors felt as if they are voyaging for spices.

This interactive map displays the spices where it came from when pressing its button and its shows who are the early voyagers who brought the spices in the country. This map shows Cristopher Columbus route.

The map shows Vasco De Gama's voyage.

Ferdinand Magellan's route.

 Historical evidence show that ancient Egyptians used spices like anise, cumin, cassia, cardamom and cloves in the embalming process of the dead. In early Roman times before refrigeration, food was salted, dried or smoked to preserve for later consumption. But like the supply of silk, Arabs also controlled the spices.

With the fall of the Roman empire, spices went through a dormant period. When the European powers recovered, the use of spices was once again revived. but this time, the Europeans decided to seek the source of these precious spices. This led to the age of expeditions, the charting of new sea routes and even the division of the globe between the Spanish and Portugese under the Treaty of Tordesillas.

Compasses

Cinammon and cloves which originated from the East were very expensive and only the rich and noble could afford them.

Unearth bones of dinosaurs where creation of dragons might very well have inspired.

The last room at the second floor is the Children's Gallery. A special exhibit made just for kids and "Imagine Dragons" is happening now.

The exhibit brings dragons to life through stamps an interactive displays. 

Dragons are imaginary creatures. Interestingly, they can be found in almost every culture in the world. On display are about hundred themed philatelic materials, including past and present stamps.

Dragons are usually accompanied with princess tales and guarding treasures.

Oh-hoh wait a minute, Mr. Postman.

i love this museum because of its various interactive activities displayed for the visitors.

Walking towards the Peranakan Museum, I was wondering where my stamps were. I guess they were just inside a shoebox in one my cabinets at my room.

If you want to visit the museum, 

Opening hours:

Mon 1pm - 7pm, Tues - Sun 9am - 7pm

Singapore Philatelic Museum 

23-B Coleman Street

Singapore 179807

or visit the website

www.spm.org.sg

There will be an admission of:

$5 for adults

$4.00 for children

$4.00 for senior citizens