The riches of a hybrid heritage

122 objects showcase the multicultural mix that is the Peranakan Chinese community

The early 15th century was a period of cultural pollination as traders from across the globe crossed the seas to seek riches abroad. Chinese merchants too embarked on perilous voyages, partly to escape the poverty back home and partly lured by the spices and textiles of the Malay peninsula. "There, they would marry the local women and move on. The children born of this union, known as the Peranakan Chinese, fused their Chinese and Malay heritage to create a hybrid culture," says Ruchira Verma who assisted the curators of the Asian Civilisation Museum, Singapore, in putting together the ongoing "The Peranakan World: Cross-cultural Art of Singapore and the Straits of Malacca" at the National Museum in New Delhi.

According to Verma, the Peranakan Chinese then made their way to the British settlements of Singapore and Penang, and by the 19th century had established themselves across Southeast Asia - be it in Java, Sumatra, Phuket or Yangon. There were other Peranakan communities in the Malay peninsula, such as the Chitty Melaka who are Hindus and Jawi Peranakan, or the Indian Muslims, but it was the Peranakan Chinese that were the most influential in Singapore.

The 122-object exhibition draws from the collection at the Asian Civilisation Museum and the Peranakan Museum, Singapore, and has been organised in India to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. As one walks around the exhibition hall, one can see how the community absorbed multicultural influences from across Southeast Asia and even Europe. The first section showcases this shared heritage while the second part focuses on Indian influences in textile. Especially striking are objects in the section on Batik - designs created by applying molten wax and dyes to cloth - that was inspired by textiles imported from Gujarat and the Coromandel coast during the 17th to 18th centuries. There is an exquisite skirt cloth with floral lattice centrefield from the Coromandel coast on display.

The exhibition also showcases the community's penchant for jewellery, which was considered an indicator of social standing. Malay, Chinese, European and Indian jewellers were commissioned to create exclusive pieces. The third section, which chronicles the Chinese influences on the community, presents a vivid panorama of jewelled treasures inspired by Chinese motifs such as butterflies, insects and hearts. There is also a collection of mourning jewellery crafted from pearls, which were thought to represent tears. However, the community, while drawing on multicultural inspirations, made the ideas its own. For instance, the Chinese utensils tended to be plain, often painted in pale enamels. The Peranakan Chinese community used the same porcelain but splashed it with vivid backgrounds, with flowers and birds dominating the scenes. "The fourth section deals with European influences and you can see carpets from Ireland, opulent furniture with carvings inspired by the West and even a pair of lady's slippers adorned with Mickey Mouse images on display," says Verma.

The collection also traces the evolution of the community's art and craft over the years. "The traditional dress for ladies used to be the baju panjang, fastened with ornate brooches called kerosang and worn over a skirt. Later, with western influences seeping in, the stylish jacket kebaya underwent a transformation, as did the kerosang. If you notice, at the start of the exhibition, there is a heavy kerosang on display, which gets lighter and less ornate towards the end," says Verma.

"The Peranakan World: Cross-cultural Art of Singapore and the Straits of Malacca", will be on view at the National Museum, New Delhi, till March 25