Peranakan Chinese Heritage of Southeast Asia - East

Exhibition: May 19–September 15, 2013
East-West Center Gallery, Honolulu, Hawai‘i
The East-West Center Arts Program presents
Peranakan Chinese Heritage
of Southeast Asia
he Peranakan Chinese are
descendents of Chinese traders
who settled in Malacca and
coastal areas of Java and Sumatra as
early as the 15th century. They married
into local Southeast Asian communities,
as Chinese women were not legally
allowed to leave China. In the 19th
century, the Peranakan immigrated
into the bustling ports of Penang and
Singapore during the British colonial
expansion. The Peranakan community
was successful as merchants and, later,
as professionals. These communities are
often referred to as Straits Chinese or
baba nyonya (baba refers to the males
and nyonya to the females).
Peranakan became extremely cosmopolitan and displayed their wealth and
artistic sensibilities using items acquired
from China, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
The EWC exhibition reflects this unique
aesthetic and highlights many of the
distinctive arts and customs of this
community. Photographs and videos
focus on wedding and marriage rituals,
hospitality customs, funeral customs,
and birthing traditions. A wide variety of
textiles, clothing, beaded slippers, cooking
utensils, and ceramics are included.
The 19th and early 20th century saw
a huge influx of Chinese into Southeast
Asia. These immigrants, migrating from
southern China, were referred to as
Sinkhek. The baba nyonas in contrast,
had already developed a distinct
Malayized Chinese culture and saw
themselves as distinct from the
newcomer Chinese. The baba nyonyas
spoke a creolized Malay language
enriched with Chinese loan words and
syntax. The religion followed many
traditional Chinese patterns, but over
time the Peranakan Chinese developed
T
Curator: Michael Schuster
Consultants: Alvin Yapp, Michael Cheang
Exhibition design: Lynne Najita
Contemporary Photographs: Gayle Goodman
STRAITS CHINESE COUPLE, © ASIAN CIVILISATIONS MUSEUM, SINGAPORE, MAY 30, 1939 – 12TH DAY OF THE 4TH MOON
Presented in cooperation with :
The Intan (Singapore), Honolulu Museum of Art,
Shangri La, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art,
Peranakan Museum/Asian Civilisations Museum
(Singapore), Dr. Lawrence K. W. Tseu
Food and ceramics
HERBS FOR NYONYA CUISINE, NYONYA BABA CUISINE RESTAURANT,
NEGORE ROAD, PENANG, 2012. S.E. CHOO, A WELL KNOWN CHEF
AND OWNER OF THE RESATURANT, COLLECTED THESE HERBS.
distinct rituals. Later, with European
colonial expansion, many converted to
Christianity.
Peranakan preferred to marry
within their community. Home life was
particularly influenced by Malay customs
because women originally came from
diverse SE Asian communities. The
nyonyas developed a unique cuisine
that is world renowned and wore clothing
influenced by local Malay design.
Originally the Peranakan served as the
go-between traders linking the local Malay
population and China. Later they served
as the liaisons between the colonial
powers and the local populations. They
acted as intermediaries for Portuguese,
Dutch, and later the English. By the late
19th century, many of the babas had
been educated in English medium
schools and took upon themselves both
the dress and culture of the English.
As the Peranakan entered the
government bureaucracy and the
professions, they became further
Anglicized and were even referred to as
the King’s Chinese. When the Japanese
controlled British Malaya (which included
Singapore), much of the Peranakan
wealth and status was undermined.
Furthermore, both Malaysian and
Singaporean independence and development further diminished the special
status of the Peranakan population.
In recent years there has been a great
effort at reviving and sustaining the
achievements of this unique community.
Nyonya food, which is world renowned
for its delicious flavors, is a complex,
serious, and time consuming enterprise.
It is said that a nyonya can determine
the culinary skill of a new daughter-inlaw simply by listening to her preparing
the spices with a mortar. Nyonya
traditionally spent endless hours
pounding rempah (spices) on a flat
stone slab. Nyonya recipes are handed
down from one generation to the next.
Key ingredients include coconut milk,
galangal (a subtle, mustard-scented
root similar to ginger), candlenuts as
both a flavoring and thickening agent,
laksa leaf, pandan leaves, belachan
(shrimp paste), tamarind juice, lemongrass, torch ginger bud, jicama, fragrant
kaffir lime leaf, rice or egg noodles.
Another important ingredient is
chinchalok, a pungent sour and salty
shrimp-based condiment that is
typically mixed with lime juice, chilies
and shallots and eaten with rice, fried
fish and other side dishes. The food is
tangy, aromatic, spicy, and herbal.
Influences include Chinese, Thai, Malay,
Indonesian, and European cuisine.
Dishes from Singapore and Malacca
show Indonesian influence, using more
coconut milk. Penang has a stronger
Thai influence and the food has a
relatively sour taste, by using tamarind.
Eating habits of the Peranakan
traditionally differed from other ethnic
Chinese communities. They served spicy
dishes and rice on individual plates and
used their hands for eating until the late
SHOP HOUSES ON NAGORE ROAD, GEORGETOWN, 2012
19th century, when European forks and
spoons were used at most meals.
Everyday dishes tended to be on blue
and white porcelain. However, for special
occasions the exuberantly colored
ceramics now known as nyonya ware
would be used. These pieces, called
Shanghai ware by the Peranakan, were
filled with traditional Chinese motifs and
glazed in pinks, reds, yellows, and
turquoise. The dazzling shades of pink
and red were introduced to China from
Europe in the eighteenth century and
this porcelain is called rose famille.
Many pieces were produced especially
for the Perankan at a ceramics company
in Jingdezhen, China. The nyonya loved
ceramics and glassware made in Europe
and regularly purchased dishes on which
to present elaborately-prepared meals.
Architecture
Peranakan lived and worked in buildings
often called a Straits Eclectic architectural
style, but these structures have a host
of other names, including Sino-MalayColonial, Sino-Malay-Palladian, Tropical
Renaissance, Chinese Palladian, and
Chinese Baroque. As the names
indicate, this architecture is a unique
combination of Eastern and Western
elements. The style developed in the
19th and early 20th centuries and
buildings include shop houses, temples,
clan buildings, and villas and bungalows.
A shop house is usually a two-story
building, the first floor used for commercial purposes and the second floor for
FAMILY ALTAR, PINANG PERANAKAN MANSION, GEORGETOWN, 2012
residential use. The building is connected
to other shop houses, forming a row
house block. There is typically a
continuous covered walkway on the
front façade of a shop house block. If
there is no commercial establishment
on the ground floor, the structures are
often referred to as terrace houses.
Front walls were made of masonry
covered with plaster or ceramics.
In the late 19th century Peranakan
adapted Western architectural elements
including French windows, pilasters of
classical orders and plaster renderings.
These decorative elements included
flowers, fruits, and Chinese or European
mythical figures. Colorful ceramic tiles
can be seen on walls and the floor. The
tiles may have been introduced by
either the Dutch or the Chinese, but by
the 20th century, art nouveau designs
from England had become very popular.
The earliest shop houses used Chinese
roof tiles, but later Mediterranean terra
cotta roof tiles were used.
A typical Peranakan house included
a first hall, a second hall where the
ancestral altar was placed, bedrooms,
a bridal chamber, kitchen, and 1-2
courtyards which also served as air
wells. As the wealth of the community
increased in the early 20th century,
Peranakan built bungalows and
ostentatious villas replete with fine
European chandeliers, mother-of-pearl
Blackwood furniture and teak cupboards
filled with colorful porcelains.
Ceremonies
Peranakan ceremonies are a combination of Chinese and Malay customs.
Combining traditions from their eclectic
history, Peranakan ceremonies celebrate
a range of events from milestones to
holidays to paying homage to the
ancestors.
Weddings
Peranakan weddings are grand 12-day
celebrations with one ceremony per day,
all symbolizing the couple’s transition
into adulthood and married life, as
well as blessing the bridal bed and
the couple’s future. All the ceremonies
are coordinated and performed by
members of both families, as a way of
blessing the marriage and displaying
their wealth. The dress is based on the
wedding outfits of the Qing Dynasty
(1644-1912), while the religious aspects
are mainly Buddhist and Taoist.
Funerals
Stemming from a belief that the
deceased walked the earth, there are
many customs associated with funerals
aimed at making sure the deceased is
happy in the afterlife. After the death,
all reflective surfaces are covered and
often a Taoist priest or priestess is
called in to clean and dress the body
before placing it into the coffin.
Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year is considered to
be one of the most important holidays
in the Lunar Year. It is a day to reconnect
with extended family. The Chinese New
Year always falls on the first day of the
first lunar month, sometime between
January 21st and February 20th on the
Western calendar.
Ancestors are honored and
remembered when homage is paid to
inscribed tablets on the family altar.
However, if the family members have
settled in different places and there is
no altar, then they
pay homage to the
oldest member of
the family and to the
ancestor tablets
that are usually
kept in
temples.
BEADED
SLIPPERS,
THE INTAN
Clothing
Some of the most important skills for a
young nyonya were embroidery and
beadwork. Beginning at age 8-10, young
girls were expected to produce a variety
of items by the time they got married,
including shoes, other clothing, and
decorations for the bridal chamber. The
quality and the quantity of the nyonya’s
work depended on the nurturing she
received when she was young; the amount
of gold thread and beads became an
indicator of wealth and status.
Nyonya, especially younger women,
often prefer combinations of bright vivid
colors and wear bright colored sarongs
from the Northern Coastal area of Java,
where Chinese artisans had dominated
the batik cottage industry. An essential
feature of the Peranakan sarong is the
kepala kain, which normally has a
contrasting panel from the rest of the
sarong. This panel is placed so that it
hangs neatly in front when the sarong
is wrapped around the waist. Batik
sarongs are usually worn with a sheer,
densely embroidered pastel hued
blouse called a kebaya.
The East-West Center promotes better relations
and understanding among the people and nations
of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through
cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Established
by the U.S. Congress in 1960, the Center serves as
a resource for information and analysis on critical
issues of common concern, bringing people together
to exchange views, build expertise, and develop
policy options. The Center is an independent, public,
nonprofit organization with funding from the
U.S. government, and additional support provided
by private agencies, individuals, foundations,
corporations, and governments in the region.
The East-West Center Arts Program
has for 35 years enriched the community through
concerts, lectures, symposia, and exhibitions
focusing on traditional arts of the region, and
by arranging cultural and educational tours by
artists who are skilled in bridging cultures.
http://arts.EastWestCenter.org
EWC Arts Team: Karen Knudsen, director,
External Affairs; William Feltz, arts program manager;
Michael Schuster, Ph.D., curator; Eric Chang, arts
program coordinator, Yining Lin and Jason Li,
arts assistants.
Mahalo to Alvin Yapp, Matthew and Alice Yapp,
Maria Khoo, Nancy Hulbirt, Maja Clark, Sara Oka,
Michael Cheang, Deborah Pope, Alan Chong, Leilani
Ng, Colorprints Inc., Kennedy & Preiss Graphic
Design, Pauline Sugino, Baba Peter Wee, Jane
Burke, Edric Ong, Michael Lin, S.E. Choo, Gayle
Goodman, Anita Schuster, Derek Ferrar, Shayne
Hasegawa, Phyllis Tabusa, Tina Tom, Roxanne
Tunoa, Deanna O’Brien, Lucy Kamealoha, Petrina
Chang, Bob Low and Mutual Underwriters,
International Travel Service (ITS), Reynold Balintec
and the Facilities Management staff.
Special Events
All in the EWC Gallery, admission free.
Sunday, May 19
Exhibition Gala Opening
1:00–2:00 p.m. Cooking demonstration
of Peranakan food featuring Matthew
and Alice Yapp of Singapore.
2:00–3:30 p.m. Reception and walkthrough with Alvin Yapp, owner of The
Intan, Singapore.
Sunday, June 16, 2:00–3:00 p.m.
“My Peranakan Family in Singapore,”
a visual presentation by Michael
Cheang, UH Assistant Professor of
Family and Consumer Science.
Sunday, July 7, 2:00–4:00 p.m.
“Little Nyonya” episodes 1-2 of the
popular television series of Singapore,
depicting Peranakan life from the late
1930s through the late 1950s.
Spoken in Mandarin, with subtitles.
Sunday, July 14, 2:00–3:00 p.m.
Local jazz musician Patrick Koh
will present about his Peranakan
upbringing and share some
Peranakan music.
Sunday, July 28, 2:00–4:00 p.m.
“Little Nyonya” episodes 3-4 of the
popular television series of Singapore,
depicting Peranakan life from the
late 1930s through the late 1950s.
Spoken in Mandarin, with subtitles.
East-West Center Arts Programs are made possible
by the Hawaii Pacific Rim Society, Friends of Hawaii
Charities, Jackie Chan Foundation USA, and generous
contributors to the EWC Foundation, including
members of the EWC Arts ‘Ohana.
East-West Center Gallery
Honolulu, Hawai‘i
John A. Burns Hall, 1601 East-West Road
(corner Dole St. & East-West Rd.)
Gallery hours: Weekdays: 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Sundays: Noon–4:00 p.m.
Closed Saturdays, holidays, and Sept. 1
For further information: 944 .7177
[email protected]
http://arts.EastWestCenter.org
School & group tours available
Gallery visitors interested in joining the
EWC Arts ‘Ohana can obtain the appropriate
flyer in the gallery, by telephoning the
EWC Foundation at 944.7105, or online:
http://arts.EastWestCenter.org
SARONG, THE INTAN
Printed with soy based inks on recycled paper
TINGKAT,
THE INTAN
Sunday, August 25, 2:00–3:00 p.m.
“Facets of Hawaii’s Chinese
Community” Douglas D.L. Chong,
President of the Hawai‘i Chinese
History Center.
Sunday, September 15, 2:00–3:00 p.m.
“The Chinese Diaspora in Asia,”
illustrated talk by Cathryn H. Clayton,
UH Associate Professor of Asian
Studies.