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Peranakan Porcelain: A Colorful Tale of Chinese-Malaysian Culture
RCB Auctions has selected a fantastic range of exquisite polychrome porcelains for connoisseurs and collectors. Timed Auction for antiques and collectibles is now on www.rcbauctions.com and www.invaluable.com until 8 August 2021, featuring a wonderful highlight piece which is Lot 534, a small Peranakan covered soup container painted with flowering peonies in panels and foliage scrolls on a green background. Let us share the hidden cultural stories behind this sought-after piece.
What does the term ‘Peranakan’ derive from?
Defining a blend of Chinese and Malay ethnicities, ‘Peranakan’ is a Malay term meaning “Person born here”. They are also known as the Baba Nyonya. The former refers to the male while the latter is female born in Malay Peninsula and Indonesian Archipelago. In Thailand, they settled in the south along the Andaman coast and the Gulf of Thailand.
This cultural mix originated in the early 15th-16th century when a group of Chinese Hokkien merchants traded in Strait of Malacca and settled in Malacca and Penang cities of Malaysia as well as in Singapore. The so-called ‘Straits Chinese’ married the local Malays and it had a vital influence in their ways of living such as dining. As a result, the art of porcelain, Nyonya ware or Straits Chinese porcelain with its unique characteristics found only in the South East Asia, became essentials of daily life.
The wealthy Peranakan Chinese commissioned Chinese traders to manufacture this kind of colorful porcelains in China. It was believed that the peranakan was first created in Tongzhi Emperor of Qing Dynasty. Eventually, production was thought to have ceased after World War II (1939-1945) due to the decline in demand.
Esthetics and value
Peranakan porcelain is popular among antique connoisseurs and collectors. Only commissioned by a well-to-do Peranakan family, its value was dependent on its rarity of color and size. Chinese artisans had to import pigments from foreign countries to achieve its distinguished colorfulness among other kinds of porcelains manufactured in China.
This magnificent piece is set to go under the hammer for this timed auction until 8 August at 6 p.m. of Bangkok.
Lot 534
A small Nyonya covered soup container painted with flowering peonies in panels and foliage scrolls on a green background (1 pc.)
Dimensions: W 8 cm. H 8 cm.
Style: Chinese
Circa: 19th century
Starting price: 14,000 Baht
BID NOW on www.rcbauctions.com and www.invaluable.com or watch a step-by-step video of registration and bidding here.
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