Peranakan Museum

Got to know of the Art Educator's learning journey through STAR-POST and immediately signed up for it... =) .... especially after learning that the NE department is planning for the P1 pupils to go to the Peranakan Museum for learning journey next year. Leeching in the planning....wahahaha....

nearest train station is Bras Brasah and City Hall

the map which i took with my camera from my computer screen to make sure i reach my destination....

but it's not sufficient lo... the moment i exit from the station ,i was lost... and that's like after staring at the local area map at the station for at least 5 minutes somemore.... even walked in the wrong direction (what's new though!!!) ... luckily gut feeling felt like walking , decide to u-turn when i saw chijmes

so happy to see familiar faces from the A is for Art program at this program too....

Art workshop, learning journey and courses are always fun due to the many many hands-on activities which we can easily duplicate for our art lessons....

The participants were divided into 4 groups to carry out the activities.

Activity 1: Memory Drawing

Our group was given one minute to scrutinise the items hidden under this piece of cloth

and to sketch how the items look like based on that 1 minute of observation within the next one minute

then we were allowed to look at the items again for another one minute and to continue with our sketches in the next one minute and this is what i drew

there's one major item missing in my drawing which i din even realised until i saw sharon's and mages's drawing.... i din know that the blue flora 'cloth' was actually a kebaya top.... my observation skill fail big big time.... =S

then based on these display items, the groups have to identify the theme for the Caption Challenge and ours was "NONYA"

This activity above is an activity that introduces object-based learning, one that trains the eyes and the brain and it offers a visual take on Peranakan's life and customs

This box of brooches is known as kerosang. It is used to fasten the front of a kebaya. The larger one is known as kerosang ibu (mother) while the two smaller ones are known as kerosang anak (child). Wealthy peranakan women usually had their kerosang set in diamonds oh.

Activity 2: Ten Times Two

A routine for observing and describing

Step 1: We were given 30 seconds to observe the item below for 30 seconds.

Step 2: List 10 words or phrases about any aspect of the item.

Step 3: Repeat step 1 and 2

Not sharing my lists of words cos after looking though them, i once again conclude that I m a science teacher trying very hard to be an art teacher.... =S

anyway, an additional activity which I thought could complement this activity is to let the pupils draw the item based on the 20 words which was listed when they get home or in the next lesson ... but on second thoughts, this sounds more like an english lesson cos it stresses the important of descriptive words.... ('_'!!)

Activity 3 : Mind-map

as many questions we have about the item

i think this is a form of self-directed learning cos they never tell us any answers.... only found out about the container thingy is known as kamcheng when i went on my own tour after the course. The bigger versions were used as water containers, for serving rice, pickles, soup and other foods while the miniature versions were used by some Peranakan ladies to store cosmetics.

TEA TIME - Nonya Kueh .... Yum Yum....

and off to the galleries we explored.... before entering the galleries, Karen shared with us how we could introduce museum etiquette to the very young ones....

1) museum is a very small place where many breakable items are displayed hence only mice (gentle, soft and tiptop) are allowed into the museum... elephants (loud, rough and running around) are out of bounds...

2) No food and drinks in the museum cos they would attracts creepy crawlies which nobody likes...

Gallery 9 - Food & Feasting

This dinning display is known as Tok Panjang. Tok (hokkien word for table) Panjang (malay word for long) refers to the feast laid out on long rectangle tables found in Peranakan Chinese homes.

This kind of display is known as contextual display where items are displayed in authentic environment.

We were also introduced to a modern Peranakan painting titled "Adoring the Phoenix" By Desmond Sim 2007, Singapore

Karen, our facilitator scaffolded our discussion to lead us to the 'story' behind the painting

but somehow i just feel that there's another version....look at the painting closely once more

dun you think the male and female are like mirror image of each other??? except for the hair (wig)... why on earth would a man be smelling a flower??? and look at how he's holding the stalk of flower.... a phoenix represent feminine characteristics too...

but this is just my humble interpretation.... there's no right or wrong in art so nobody can fault me to think this way ... .i shall not say too much liao.... ;P....

Gallery 4 - Wedding

This chamber bed has been used in at least 5 weddings over 3 generations, beginning from the early 20th century. Plenty of auspicious symbols of fertility such as butterflies, phoenixes, peonies and the 8 Taoist immortals donned the curtains and bedding textiles.

The following 2 exhibits brought back memories of our wedding