Penang Museum and Art Gallery description and photos - Malaysia: Georgetown (Topic)

Penang Museum and Art Gallery description and photos - Malaysia: Georgetown. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Penang Museum and Art Gallery.

Photo and description

Penang Museum and Art Gallery is a single complex, considered one of the best museums in Malaysia. It was founded in 1821 and is housed in a building that was built ten years earlier. This beautiful colonial-style house was formerly the first English public school in the east.

An extensive collection of exhibits tells the story of the island from the sultanate to the Japanese genocide during World War II. The permanent exhibition includes photographs, maps, historical accounts, household items and luxuries of the peoples inhabiting the island.

Until recently, Penang was dominated by the Chinese population, influencing all aspects of the island's life. Therefore, in the halls of the museum, so much space is devoted to the appearance and activities of Chinese clans on the island. It is interesting to look at the opium beds, carved and decorated with mother-of-pearl, rich household items and clothes made of expensive fabrics. The episode of 1867, when the opium wars between the Chinese clans turned into street riots, is separately recreated. The British administration managed to deal with them only with the help of reinforcements sent from Singapore.

The expositions also show objects of everyday life and culture of Malays, Hindus, complementing the general picture of the history of the island.

The museum presents national treasures of the country: the collection of the famous porcelain Baba Nyonya, antique furniture, folk costumes and jewelry, oil-painted landscapes of the island and the surrounding sea, old prints, edged weapons. The exhibition even features a bust of Wilhelm II, the German Kaiser. It was found in a terrible state in a school on the island. No one could explain how the 19th century bust got there. After restoration, he added to the museum's exhibition.

It is worth paying attention to the cast-iron statue of Penang Governor Francis Light, installed next to the museum in honor of the 150th anniversary of the founding of Penang. The sculptor was posed by his illegitimate son William Light, an English officer, future founder of Adelaide (South Australia).

The art gallery exhibits works by local artists, and is also a venue for thematic exhibitions.

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Topic: Penang Museum and Art Gallery description and photos - Malaysia: Georgetown.