SEAArch - The Southeast Asian Archaeology Newsblog » Asian Civilisations Museum

Public Lecture: Pots and How They are Made in Southeast Asia

noelbynature — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:23:19 +0000

Readers in Singapore may be interested in this talk about ceramics production in Mainland SEA by Louise Cort and Leedom Lefferts. Click on the image to download the flyer (pdf). No registration is required.

Pots and how they are made in mainland Southeast Asia
Louise Allison Cort and Leedom Lefferts
Friday, 17 February 2012, 7 to 8.30pm
Ngee Ann Auditorium, Asian Civilisations Museum

Tang shipwreck treasures at the Asian Civilisations Museum

noelbynature — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:06:07 +0000

I briefly mentioned this at my last post about the Belitung Shipwreck – The Tang Treasures are now on display at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore until July.

Asian Civilisations Museum, cc image

ACM showcases Tang Dynasty artefacts from 8th century shipwreck
Channel NewsAsia, 23 January 2012

A tale of two kingdoms lost to the world for more than 1,200 years was uncovered from a shipwreck only some 14 years ago and these treasures from the Tang Dynasty are now being showcased at the Asian Civilisations Museum, including a few pieces never before seen by the world.

These treasures, which have been submerged in the ocean for 1,200 years, have now gotten a new look and some are encrusted with corals and barnacles.

Curator Kan Shuyi said: “When people look at some of these objects, they may feel that they look quite in pristine condition. That was partly because of the way they were packed. But these have actually been under the sea for actually a millennium. In a way, the marine encrustation added another kind of beauty to these objects.”

Full story here.

Asian Civilisations Museum Research Fellowship 2012-2013

noelbynature — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:47:38 +0000

Applications are now open for the Asian Civilisations Museum Research Fellowship for 2012-2013. The research themes for the upcoming term are Peranakan material culture, Confucianism and Christianity in Asia (up to 1800).

For more information about the fellowship and how to apply, click here.

Public lecture: Alternative stories of Rama

noelbynature — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:13:38 +0000

Professor Romila Thapar is scheduled to give a talk at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore on the multiple versions of the Ramayana from the first millennium BCE. Registration required, details below.

Alternative Stories of Rama: Why Did They Emerge in the First Millennium BCE?
17 August 2011
7.00 – 8.30pm
Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore
Registration required, email nhb_acm_rpu@nhb.gov.sg by 15 August 2011

The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic poem that has been retold and reinterpreted by different communities and religions since the first millennium BCE . Given the multiple versions of the story of Rama, it is necessary to juxtapose them, and observe and explain the differences. This talk will consider three versions, all written around the same period: the Buddhist Dasaratha Jataka, the Valmiki Ramayana, and the Jaina Paumacariyam. The talk will attempt to explain why the societies of the three versions are depicted in such different ways.

More details here.

Conference on Maritime Archaeology at the Asian Civilisations Museum

noelbynature — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:48:40 +0000

Readers in Singapore may be interested in this conference at the Asian Civilisations Museum next week.

Conference on Maritime Archaeology
18 June 2011
ACM Empress Place, Ngee Ann Auditorium

This timely conference examines best practice in maritime archaeology in Southeast Asia and beyond. Comprising panel presentations and discussions, speakers will talk about a range of strategies including legislation, funding, capacity-building, scholarship, and preservation. The conference hopes to discuss recommendations for archaeology in Southeast Asia.

Co-chaired by Alan Chong, Director, Asian Civilisations Museum and Julian Raby, Director, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, contributors include practising archaeologists and heritage professionals from Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe.

The conference is organised by the Asian Civilisations Museum, in conjunction with the exhibition, Shipwrecked: Tang Treasures and Monsoon Winds

Asian Civilisations Museum Fellowship Grant

noelbynature — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 14:12:48 +0000

The Asian Civilisations Museum is calling for applicants for their one-year fellowship for 2011-2012. The focus of research for this round is on Buddhist Art, Guan Yin and the influence of tradition on contemporary art.

photo credit: yeowatzup

ACM Research Fellowship Grant

The Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) in Singapore invites scholars specialising in Buddhist art, Avalokiteshvara or visual culture to apply for a 12-month research fellowship. The award period for the 2011-12 fellowships will commence from April 2011 through March 2012. The applications will be screened by a committee of eminent scholars and will be administered by the Research and Publication Unit (RPU) of ACM.

Applications close 15 January 2011.
Further details and application form can be found here.

Last chance to catch Sumatra: Isle of Gold

noelbynature — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:17:51 +0000

The Sumatra: Isle of Gold has been exhibiting at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore since the end of July, but I hadn’t had the chance to take a visit because of some reason or another. But finally, I had the chance to catch the exhibition this morning, and lucky thing too – the exhibition is going to close this Sunday!

Sumatra: Isle of Gold

Sumatra is the western gateway for the maritime journey to Southeast Asia, and given that we know of Indic influences from the early centuries CE, it’s not surprising that we see many signs of cultural exchange. It’s this theme of cultural exchange and influences from external forces that shapes the exhibition. The exhibition is the first international travelling exhibition on Sumatran culture, and features exhibits from the collections of the ACM, the National Museum of Indonesia and the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden.

The earliest exhibits show influences from the west, north and east in the form of some carnelian beads, a bronze vessel, and bronze earrings reminiscent of ling-ling-o.

Carnelian beads from Pasemah, South Sumatra. Probably of Indian origin.

Bronze Vessel found in Kerinci, Jambi Province

Bronze earrings from Sumatra, looking very similar to linglingo found across Southeast Asia, and probably originating east and north of Sumatra.

The visitor is invited to view each of the cultural influences in turn; from a central hub, the visitor can enter smaller galleries featuring the Indian, Chinese, Islamic, Regional and European influences found in Sumatra.

Exhibition hall for Sumatra: Isle of Gold

In the Indian influences gallery, among the featured artefacts are statues and bronzes from the Srivijayan period, and the original Bangka Inscription on loan from the National Museum of Indonesia. I had featured the Bangka inscription on an earlier post.

Sculpture showing Indian influences from the Sumatra: Isle of Gold exhibition

This wall relief is described as a dancer wearing an elephant mask. Does anyone know why this is identified as a dancer and not Ganesha?

Kota Kapur Incsription from Bangka Island

The exhibition also features some of the royal regalia and bling from the Sultanates of Aceh, Siak and Riau-Lingga.

Royal artefacts from the Sultanate of Riau-Lingga

Gold seal from the Sultan of Aceh

While the exhibition talks a lot about the outside influences, we mustn’t forget that Sumatra also already holds a tremendous amount of diversity within its native peoples – the home to groups such as the Bataks, the Minangkabau and the Nias islanders.

Batak carvings featuring the singa motif

Ancestor figure from Toba, north Sumatra

Sumatra: Isle of Gold is exhibiting at the Asian Civilisations Museum until Nov 7, which is the end of the week. If you’re in Singapore, catch it while you still can! We also remember that Sumatra was last week struck by a tsunami that had claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed as many as 10 villages. At the same time, Indonesia is also dealing with the destruction following the eruption of Mt Merapi in Java. Please consider donating to the Indonesian Red Cross to help with the aid efforts – they accept both local and US dollar donations.

Special thanks to the Asian Civilisations Museum and Binjin for permission to photograph in the gallery.

Public Lecture: Sumatran Gold in Southeast Asian Context

noelbynature — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 00:00:49 +0000

Readers in Singapore may be interested in attending Dr. Miksic’s lecture this evening at the Asian Civilisations Museum in conjunction with the Sumatra exhibition.

Gold Land Lords: Sumatran Gold in Southeast Asian Context
Thursday, 14 October 2010
7.30 pm
Asian Civilisations Museum
Ngee Ann Auditorium, ACM Empress Place (Basement)

Sumatra has been known as a source of gold for 2,000 years, but very few gold objects come from known sites there. In this talk, Professor John Miksec from the National University of Singapore will reconstruct early Sumatran gold art by comparison with objects found in other parts of the region.

Sumatra's treasures on show in Singapore

noelbynature — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:56:24 +0000

The newest exhibition at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore showcases the treasures from the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the first such international travelling exhibition to do so.

Sumatran artefacts on display
Straits Times, 28 July 2010

The story of an ancient crossroads of Asia – the Indonesian island of Sumatra – comes to life at the Asian Civilisations Museum’s (ACM) newest exhibition.

Sumatra: Isle of Gold, on show from July 30 to Nov 7, features over 300 objects that showcase the unique culture and identity of Sumatra, especially the cross-cultural influences that have shaped the island from ancient times to the present day.

It will be launched by Guest-of-Honour Lui Tuck Yew, Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts at 6.30pm on Thursday.

Co-organised by the ACM, the National Museum of Indonesia and the Museum Volkenkunde (National Museum of Ethnology), Leiden, this is the first international travelling exhibition on Sumatran culture.

Treasury of the World: The Jewelled Arts of India and the Mughals

noelbynature — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:38:12 +0000

At a recent visit to the Asian Civilisations Museum, I managed to catch their latest exhibition entitled Treasury of the World: Jewelled Arts of India in the Age of the Mughals. It’s on until the end of June, and worth a visit if you’re in Singapore (that, and their Southeast Asian collections!)

I must confess that I did not know anything about the Mughals before this exhibition; the short version is that the Mughal
Empire ruled most of India between the 16th and 19th centuries, and oversaw a period of great wealth and prosperity. Case in point: the Taj Mahal, one of the most iconic symbols of India is an example of Mughal architecture; and the word ‘mogul’ which means a person of great power also has its roots from the word Mughal. And powerful rulers they had to be, because they were Islamic rulers overseeing an vastly Hindu population. So their jewelled arts were as much a symbol of power as they were of beauty.

The exhibition is laid out in different sections, each highlighting a particular technique, such as stone settings, enamelled pieces, and inscribed gemstones. The last one is a particular highlight, featuring gemstones such as emeralds and spinels inscribed with royal names.

Inscribed gemstones from the Treasury of the World

This dagger is an example of gemstones laid in a background of gold floral ground – set with rubies, diamonds, emeralds, ivory and agate.

Mughal jewelled dagger and scabbard, c. 1615-1620.

Gold enamelled archery ring, c. 1700

The name of the exhibition comes from a letter by the British Ambassador, Sir Thomas Roe, who wrote in 1616 about the Mughal Court. It’s certainly worth a visit if you’re in Singapore – just another reason to visit the Asian Civilisations Museum.

Special thanks to Binjing @ ACM for the permission to take photographs at the exhibition. The Treasury of the World exhibition is on from now until 27 June 2010 at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore. For more information, click here.