The East-West Center Arts Program presents

Curator:Michael SchusterConsultants: Alvin Yapp, Michael CheangExhibition design: Lynne NajitaContemporary Photographs: Gayle Goodman

Exhibition: May 19–September 15, 2013East-West Center Gallery, Honolulu, Hawai‘i

Peranakan Chinese Heritageof Southeast AsiaThe Peranakan Chinese are

descendents of Chinese traderswho settled in Malacca and

coastal areas of Java and Sumatra asearly as the 15th century. They marriedinto local Southeast Asian communities,as Chinese women were not legallyallowed to leave China. In the 19thcentury, the Peranakan immigratedinto the bustling ports of Penang andSingapore during the British colonialexpansion. The Peranakan communitywas successful as merchants and, later,as professionals. These communities areoften referred to as Straits Chinese orbaba nyonya (baba refers to the malesand nyonya to the females).

Peranakan became extremely cos-mopolitan and displayed their wealth andartistic sensibilities using items acquiredfrom China, Southeast Asia, and Europe.The EWC exhibition reflects this uniqueaesthetic and highlights many of thedistinctive arts and customs of thiscommunity. Photographs and videosfocus on wedding and marriage rituals,hospitality customs, funeral customs,and birthing traditions. A wide variety oftextiles, clothing, beaded slippers, cookingutensils, and ceramics are included.

The 19th and early 20th century sawa huge influx of Chinese into SoutheastAsia. These immigrants, migrating fromsouthern China, were referred to asSinkhek. The baba nyonas in contrast,had already developed a distinctMalayized Chinese culture and sawthemselves as distinct from thenewcomer Chinese. The baba nyonyasspoke a creolized Malay languageenriched with Chinese loan words andsyntax. The religion followed manytraditional Chinese patterns, but overtime the Peranakan Chinese developed

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

STRAITS CHINESE COUPLE, © ASIAN CIVILISATIONSMUSEUM, SINGAPORE,MAY 30, 1939 – 12TH DAYOFTHE 4THMOON

19th century, when European forks andspoons were used at most meals.Everyday dishes tended to be on blueand white porcelain. However, for specialoccasions the exuberantly coloredceramics now known as nyonya warewould be used. These pieces, calledShanghai ware by the Peranakan, werefilled with traditional Chinesemotifs andglazed in pinks, reds, yellows, andturquoise.The dazzling shades of pinkand red were introduced to China fromEurope in the eighteenth century andthis porcelain is called rose famille.Many pieces were produced especiallyfor the Perankan at a ceramics companyin Jingdezhen, China. The nyonya lovedceramics and glassware made in Europeand regularly purchased dishes on whichto present elaborately-prepared meals.

ArchitecturePeranakan lived and worked in buildingsoften called aStraits Eclectic architecturalstyle, but these structures have a hostof other names, including Sino-Malay-Colonial, Sino-Malay-Palladian, TropicalRenaissance, Chinese Palladian, andChinese Baroque. As the namesindicate, this architecture is a uniquecombination of Eastern andWesternelements. The style developed in the19th and early 20th centuries andbuildings include shop houses, temples,clan buildings, and villas and bungalows.

A shop house is usually a two-storybuilding, the first floor used for commer-cial purposes and the second floor for

Food and ceramicsNyonya food, which is world renownedfor its delicious flavors, is a complex,serious, and time consuming enterprise.It is said that a nyonya can determinethe culinary skill of a new daughter-in-law simply by listening to her preparingthe spices with a mortar.Nyonyatraditionally spent endless hourspounding rempah (spices) on a flatstone slab.Nyonya recipes are handeddown from one generation to the next.Key ingredients include coconut milk,galangal (a subtle, mustard-scentedroot similar to ginger), candlenuts asboth a flavoring and thickening agent,laksa leaf, pandan leaves, belachan(shrimp paste), tamarind juice, lemon-grass, torch ginger bud, jicama, fragrantkaffir lime leaf, rice or egg noodles.

Another important ingredient ischinchalok, a pungent sour and saltyshrimp-based condiment that istypically mixed with lime juice, chiliesand shallots and eaten with rice, friedfish and other side dishes. The food istangy, aromatic, spicy, and herbal.Influences include Chinese, Thai, Malay,Indonesian, and European cuisine.Dishes from Singapore and Malaccashow Indonesian influence, using morecoconut milk. Penang has a strongerThai influence and the food has arelatively sour taste, by using tamarind.

Eating habits of the Peranakantraditionally differed from other ethnicChinese communities.They served spicydishes and rice on individual plates andused their hands for eating until the late

distinct rituals. Later, with Europeancolonial expansion,many converted toChristianity.

Peranakan preferred to marrywithin their community. Home life wasparticularly influenced byMalay customsbecause women originally came fromdiverse SE Asian communities. Thenyonyas developed a unique cuisinethat is world renowned andwore clothinginfluenced by local Malay design.

Originally the Peranakan served as thego-between traders linking the localMalaypopulation and China. Later they servedas the liaisons between the colonialpowers and the local populations. Theyacted as intermediaries for Portuguese,Dutch, and later the English. By the late19th century, many of the babas hadbeen educated in English mediumschools and took upon themselves boththe dress and culture of the English.

As the Peranakan entered thegovernment bureaucracy and theprofessions, they became furtherAnglicized and were even referred to asthe King’s Chinese.When the Japanesecontrolled BritishMalaya (which includedSingapore), much of the Peranakanwealth and status was undermined.Furthermore, both Malaysian andSingaporean independence and develop-ment further diminished the specialstatus of the Peranakan population.In recent years there has been a greateffort at reviving and sustaining theachievements of this unique community.

HERBS FOR NYONYACUISINE, NYONYABABACUISINE RESTAURANT,NEGORE ROAD, PENANG, 2012. S.E. CHOO,AWELLKNOWN CHEFAND OWNER OFTHE RESATURANT, COLLECTED THESE HERBS.

SHOP HOUSES ON NAGORE ROAD, GEORGETOWN, 2012

CeremoniesPeranakan ceremonies are a combina-tion of Chinese and Malay customs.Combining traditions from their eclectichistory, Peranakan ceremonies celebratea range of events frommilestones toholidays to paying homage to theancestors.

WeddingsPeranakan weddings are grand 12-daycelebrations with one ceremony per day,all symbolizing the couple’s transitioninto adulthood and married life, aswell as blessing the bridal bed andthe couple’s future. All the ceremoniesare coordinated and performed bymembers of both families, as a way ofblessing the marriage and displayingtheir wealth. The dress is based on thewedding outfits of the Qing Dynasty(1644-1912), while the religious aspectsare mainly Buddhist and Taoist.

FuneralsStemming from a belief that thedeceased walked the earth, there aremany customs associated with funeralsaimed at making sure the deceased ishappy in the afterlife. After the death,all reflective surfaces are covered andoften a Taoist priest or priestess iscalled in to clean and dress the bodybefore placing it into the coffin.

residential use.The building is connectedto other shop houses, forming a rowhouse block. There is typically acontinuous covered walkway on thefront façade of a shop house block. Ifthere is no commercial establishmenton the ground floor, the structures areoften referred to as terrace houses.Front walls were made of masonrycovered with plaster or ceramics.

In the late 19th century PeranakanadaptedWestern architectural elementsincluding French windows, pilasters ofclassical orders and plaster renderings.These decorative elements includedflowers, fruits, and Chinese or Europeanmythical figures. Colorful ceramic tilescan be seen on walls and the floor. Thetiles may have been introduced byeither the Dutch or the Chinese, but bythe 20th century, art nouveau designsfrom England had become very popular.The earliest shop houses used Chineseroof tiles, but later Mediterranean terracotta roof tiles were used.

A typical Peranakan house includeda first hall, a second hall where theancestral altar was placed, bedrooms,a bridal chamber, kitchen, and 1-2courtyards which also served as airwells. As the wealth of the communityincreased in the early 20th century,Peranakan built bungalows andostentatious villas replete with fineEuropean chandeliers, mother-of-pearlBlackwood furniture and teak cupboardsfilled with colorful porcelains.

Chinese New YearThe Chinese NewYear is considered tobe one of the most important holidaysin the Lunar Year. It is a day to reconnectwith extended family. The Chinese NewYear always falls on the first day of thefirst lunar month, sometime betweenJanuary 21st and February 20th on theWestern calendar.

Ancestors are honored andremembered when homage is paid toinscribed tablets on the family altar.However, if the family members havesettled in different places and there isno altar, then theypay homage to theoldest member ofthe family and to theancestor tabletsthat are usuallykept intemples.

ClothingSome of the most important skills for ayoung nyonya were embroidery andbeadwork. Beginning at age 8-10, younggirls were expected to produce a varietyof items by the time they got married,including shoes, other clothing, anddecorations for the bridal chamber. Thequality and the quantity of the nyonya’swork depended on the nurturing shereceivedwhen shewas young; the amountof gold thread and beads became anindicator of wealth and status.

Nyonya, especially younger women,often prefer combinations of bright vividcolors and wear bright colored sarongsfrom the Northern Coastal area of Java,where Chinese artisans had dominatedthe batik cottage industry. An essentialfeature of the Peranakan sarong is thekepala kain, which normally has acontrasting panel from the rest of thesarong. This panel is placed so that ithangs neatly in front when the sarongis wrapped around the waist. Batiksarongs are usually worn with a sheer,densely embroidered pastel huedblouse called a kebaya.

FAMILYALTAR, PINANG PERANAKANMANSION, GEORGETOWN, 2012

BEADEDSLIPPERS,THE INTAN

Printed with soy based inks on recycled paper

TheEast-West Center promotes better relationsand understanding among the people and nationsof the United States,Asia, and the Pacific throughcooperative study, research,anddialogue.Establishedby the U.S. Congress in 1960, the Center serves asa resource for information and analysis on criticalissues of common concern, bringing people togetherto exchange views, build expertise, and developpolicy options.The Center is an independent, public,nonprofit organization with funding from theU.S. government, and additional support providedby private agencies, individuals, foundations,corporations, and governments in the region.

The East-West Center Arts Programhas for 35 years enriched the community throughconcerts, lectures, symposia, and exhibitionsfocusing on traditional arts of the region, andby arranging cultural and educational tours byartists who are skilled in bridging cultures.http://arts.EastWestCenter.org

EWC Arts Team: Karen Knudsen, director,ExternalAffairs;William Feltz, arts programmanager;Michael Schuster, Ph.D., curator; Eric Chang, artsprogram 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, LeilaniNg, Colorprints Inc., Kennedy & Preiss GraphicDesign, Pauline Sugino, Baba PeterWee, JaneBurke, Edric Ong,Michael Lin, S.E. Choo, GayleGoodman,Anita Schuster, Derek Ferrar, ShayneHasegawa, Phyllis Tabusa, Tina Tom, RoxanneTunoa, Deanna O’Brien, Lucy Kamealoha, PetrinaChang, Bob Low and Mutual Underwriters,International Travel Service (ITS), Reynold Balintecand the Facilities Management staff.

East-West Center Arts Programs are made possibleby the Hawaii Pacific Rim Society, Friends of HawaiiCharities, Jackie Chan Foundation USA, and generouscontributors to the EWC Foundation, includingmembers of the EWC Arts ‘Ohana.

East-West Center GalleryHonolulu, Hawai‘iJohn 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. 1For further information: 944.7177arts@EastWestCenter.orghttp://arts.EastWestCenter.orgSchool & group tours available

Gallery visitors interested in joining theEWC Arts ‘Ohana can obtain the appropriateflyer in the gallery, by telephoning theEWC Foundation at 944.7105, or online:http://arts.EastWestCenter.org

Sunday, August 25, 2:00–3:00 p.m.“Facets of Hawaii’s ChineseCommunity”Douglas D.L. Chong,President of the Hawai‘i ChineseHistory Center.

Sunday, September 15, 2:00–3:00 p.m.“The Chinese Diaspora in Asia,”illustrated talk by Cathryn H. Clayton,UHAssociate Professor of AsianStudies.

Special EventsAll in the EWC Gallery, admission free.

Sunday, May 19Exhibition Gala Opening1:00–2:00 p.m. Cooking demonstrationof Peranakan food featuring Matthewand Alice Yapp of Singapore.2:00–3:30 p.m. Reception and walk-through with Alvin Yapp, owner of TheIntan, Singapore.

Sunday, June 16, 2:00–3:00 p.m.“My Peranakan Family in Singapore,”a visual presentation by MichaelCheang, UHAssistant Professor ofFamily and Consumer Science.

Sunday, July 7, 2:00–4:00 p.m.“Little Nyonya” episodes 1-2 of thepopular television series of Singapore,depicting Peranakan life from the late1930s through the late 1950s.Spoken in Mandarin, with subtitles.

Sunday, July 14, 2:00–3:00 p.m.Local jazz musician Patrick Kohwill present about his Peranakanupbringing and share somePeranakan music.

Sunday, July 28, 2:00–4:00 p.m.“Little Nyonya” episodes 3-4 of thepopular television series of Singapore,depicting Peranakan life from thelate 1930s through the late 1950s.Spoken in Mandarin, with subtitles.

SARONG, THE INTAN

TINGKAT,THE INTAN