UMAG: THE STARTING POINT

DARI SEBUAH RUANG PEJABAT, MENJADI SEBUAH GALERI SENI. IDEA, SOKONGAN DAN KESANGGUPAN UNTUK MENCAPAI IMPIAN. 

Berikut adalah email pertama berkaitan penubuhan Galeri Seni Universiti Malaya.  

Date: Sat, 25 Dec 2010 19:21:53 +0800
From: 
Reply-To: 
Subject: Galeri - Tingkat 4, Bangunan Canseleri Baru.


Assalamualaikum,

Dr Nor Edzan & En Aziz,

Saya ingin memberitahu bahawa saya telah mengkhaskan tingkat 4
Bangunan Canseleri Baru sebagai Galeri baru untuk semua PAINTING di
bawah simpanan UM. Dengan itu sila berbincang dengan Pn Sharifah,
JPPHB bagi tujuan untuk pengubahsuaian dan persediaan tingkat 4 ini
dengan kadar segera. Bila sudah siap nanti, sila pindahkan semua
painting yang ada di Muzium Seni Asia dan semua dalam koleksi kita ke
Tingkat 4 ini. Kalau ada painting dari Fakulti, sila bawa dan simpan
ke Tingkat 4 juga.

Saya mahu tingkat 4 ini menjadi IKON di UM dan satu daripada lokasi
tarikan bagi semua pelawat ternama dan deif-deif kehormat yang datang
melawat UM. Sila juga lihat beberapa buah universiti ternama yang
mempunyai IKON seperti ini.

Sila urus segera.

Ghauth.

TEMBIKAR TANAH ALOR MERAH, SUNGAI DUA, SEBERANG PERAI, PULAU PINANG

Pada tahun 2009, saya cuba menjejak sejumlah nama tempat atau tapak yang disebutkan oleh Allahyarham Syed Ahmad Jamal, dalam bukunya Rupa dan Jiwa - sebagai tempat membuat tembikar tanah Melayu. Syed Ahmad Jamal ialah pelukis tanah air yang juga bekas Pengarah Kebudayaan di Universiti Malaya. Semasa perkhidmatan beliau di Universiti Malaya, di dapati beliau menulis dan mengadakan pameran serta memberi perhatian yang besar kepada pembangunan koleksi muzium.

Antara hasil peninggalan beliau ialah sejumlah artifak kesenian Melayu termasuk tembikar-tembikar tanah. Dalam buku Rupa dan Jiwa, edisi asal, kulit berwarna emas, disebutkan tentang beberapa tempat menghasilkan tembikar khususnya di Semenanjung.

Pada penjejakan semula tempat-tempat pembuatan tembikar tersebut, hanya 5 tapak yang saya temui iaitu:-

1. Kampung Seri xxxx, kira-kira 40 minit memudik Sungai Kelantan dari Kuala Kerai (Tangga Bradley atau tangga Kerai). Tidak dapat dipastikan, apakah kampung ini masih wujud atau sekiranya kampung ini masih wujud, apakah aktiviti pembuatan tembikar diteruskan atau telah berkubur,
2. Kampung Kepala Bendang, Sayong, Kuala Kangsar
3. Kampung Pasir Durian, Jerantut, Pahang.
4. Kampung Temin, Jerantut Pahang.
5. Kampung xxxx di Perlis. Tidak lagi ada pembuatan tembikar tetapi ada seorang pewaris keluarga yang membuat tembikar di sana.

Salah satu tempat yang tidak dapat saya jumpai ialah tapak pembuatan tembikar di Kampung Alor Merah, Sungai Dua, Seberang Perai, Pulau Pinang. Berikut adalah foto tembikar tanah, yang berbentuk bulat, yang sering dikenali sebagai periuk tanah. Dalam catatan Syed Ahmad Jamal, artifak ini dikenali sebagai Belanga. Berikut adalah foto artifak berkenaan, koleksi Muzium Seni Asia, Universiti Malaya.

No akses koleksi ini : UM.79.130B. Belanga. Hasil buatan Puan Zainab Mat Saman,
dari Alor Merah, Sungai Dua, Seberang Perai, Pulau Pinang. 

Apakah belanga dan periuk mempunyai makna yang sama dalam bahasa Melayu. Mengikut tafsiran saya, bentuk ini saya masukkan ke dalam periuk bertutup. Digunakan sebagai memasak lauk, nasi, merebus sayuran dan sebagainya. 

   

HONDA SH AWD SYSTEM - MALAYSIAN CHIEF ENGINEER AT HONDA

Very impressive news. Congrats Tuan!

http://www.carlist.my/news/meet-malaysian-chief-engineer-behind-hondas-sh-awd-system/34963

ARMENIAN POTTERY BOWL (PALESTINE) & KUTAHYA TRADITION FROM TURKEY

The Museum of Asian Art, University of Malaya (MSA) has some pieces so called "Islamic" pottery, as earlier as 17th-19th century. The record shows that its comes from the auction house (will be confirmed later). At the same time, one of our visitor, an English lady, who did her master in Turkey, give comment on this pieces as Armenian bowl pottery from Palestine area. Another sources, from the British V&A Museum related it as Kutahya tradition from Turkey.

Very interesting area to explore. Here is a link about the Kutahya.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/journals/research-journal/issue-03/kutahya-ceramics-and-international-armenian-trade-networks/

Here is the artifact:-

Frankly to said, Middle East ceramic or so called "Islamic pottery" is not my area of studies. During the excavation in Sungai Mas, Kedah, some pieces so called seggrafito was found from the site. Unfortunately, there is no serious step taken on research. 

One of the forum that mention about may be so called Islamic Pottery, came from the Iznik and Kutahya ceramic, in Turkey. Ms Asley, an English lecturer from Hong Kong University, visited MSA, maybe sometime in 2013. He her comment about Iznik and the story of ceramic tiles in Middle East area as here:- 

There is a vast history of ceramics and tiles in the region and their

different influences and styles.  Therefore, to simplify and focus, my talk concentrates

more on early to mid 16th century when Iznik tiles reached their golden years for various

reasons and because of key people.  I’ve positioned Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent’s imperial monogram here as this was his period of reign and so you can see where he fits in the scheme of things. We can say that 1480-1560 saw the development & growth of the Iznik pottery industry and 1560 onwards the maturity and the subsequent decline into the 17th century.  I will also say at this point that experts in the field have highlighted the problem of tracing the development of the Ottoman tile industry. 

The evolution of ceramic tiles is not a simple process which can be charted by a chronological and typological classification of the tiles according to technique, colour scheme and style.  Gulru Necipoglu, Professor of Islamic Art at Harvard University has pointed out that “such a taxonomic approach leaves crucial questions about the mechanisms of artistic innovation, transformation of taste, and their meaning in the larger context of Ottoman culture.” Categorising tiles for each architectural project is difficult up to the 1550s because of the variety of designs.  Also, architectural tiles and ceramics have tended to be lumped together in the same analysis.  This is problematic before 1550 when the artistic connection between the 2 was not so obvious.  It was only after the 1550s that tiles were a main industry for themselves and the pottery an offshoot.

  

EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPH OF ISLAMIC CALLIGRAPHY 12. APRIL 2015

INAUGURATION OF EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHS ON ISLAMIC CALLIGRAPHY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA (MUSEUM OF ASIAN ART), KUALA LUMPUR ON 12TH APRIL, 2015 (SUNDAY) AT 11 A.M

PRESS RELEASE

The High Commission of India, Kuala Lumpur, for the first time, is organizing Festival of India in Malaysia from mid-March to end June.  The festival will cover several cultural events and will showcase Indian culture and art in Malaysia.  One important segment of the Festival of India, 2015 is the Exhibition of photographs on Islamic Calligraphy.

2.         Islamic Calligraphy is a visual art related to writing.  It is the design and execution of lettering with a broad tip Qalam (instrument or brush) in one stroke.            It has become the most venerated form of Islamic art as it provides a link between language and religion.  The Holy Qur’an Al Kareem has played an important role in the development and evolution of Arabic language, and by extension, calligraphy in the Arabic alphabet.  Proverbs and passages from Al Qur’an Al Kareem are still sources for Islamic Calligraphy.

3.         The High Commission of India, in association with the Rampur Raza Library in India, is pleased to present a select photography exhibition of 40 rare specimens of Islamic Calligraphy in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Bahru, Kuantan and Melaka.

   

4.         This exhibition has been specially curated for Malaysia by the historic Rampur Raza Library.  This library was established in 1774 in Rampur near Lucknow in India and has a unique collection of manuscripts, in Arabic, Persian, Pushto, Urdu, Turkish and other languages. The library has a collection of nearly 17,000 manuscripts, 60,000 printed books nearly 5,000 miniature paintings, 3000 rare specimen of Islamic calligraphy, Nawabi antiquities besides centuries old astronomical instruments and nearly 1500 rare gold, silver and copper coins dating from 5th century B.C to 19th century A.D.  5.             The exhibition will be inaugurated at the Malaysiana Hall, Museum of Asian Art, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur on 12.04.15 at 1100 hours and will continue till 28.04.15.  The opening hours of the exhibition will be 0900 hours to 1700 hours (Monday to Friday) and 0900 hours to 1600 hours on weekends.  6.              The entry for the exhibition is ‘FREE’.  7.          All are invited to view this historic and beautiful collection of photographs of Islamic Calligraphy. 8.                The exhibition will thereafter be open for public viewing in Kota Bahru from 07.05.15 to 23.05.15 at the Kelantan Art Gallery.  The exhibition will also be held in Kuantan and Melaka in June.

   

CINDAI DRAF 1 29 OKT 2015

1st Update: 29.10.2015

CINDAI

APABILA kita mendengar nyanyian tentang cindai di radio, kita masih mencari-cari erti cindai dalam kamus masyarakat Malaysia ketika ini.  Ia seolah-olah perkataan baru, akronim atau nama sesuatu yang tidak dapat kita pastikan kerana lagu berkenaan tidak membayangkan maksud sebenar erti cindai melainkan ia mengungkapkan sesuatu keindahan.

Sesungguhnya, cindai merupakan hasil karya tekstil yang halus dan indah, diperbuat daripada bahan sutera dan berasal dari India, khususnya dari daerah Gujerat. Ia dihasilkan dengan teknik tenun ikat ganda (double ikat),  iaitu motif dan corak terserlah akibat daripada gabungan atau pertindihan yang tepat di antara benang loseng (benang yang menunggu) dan benang pakan (benang yang mendatang).  Sehubungan itu, ragam hias yang dihasil bukan daripada cetakan seperti teknik batik, tetapi hasil daripada warna benang yang diikat dan ditenun.

Cindai ialah nama yang diberikan oleh masyarakat Nusantara, manakala nama yang dikenali di negara asalnya dan dunia pertekstilan Barat sebagai  patola.  Walaupun ia bukan hasil karya tulen masyarakat Nusantara, kain ini terkenal kerana kecantikannya dan kepercayaan terhadap kesaktian yang dimilikinya. Namun yang lebih utama ialah teknologi penghasilannya.  Masyarakat Melayu juga menghasilkan jenis cindai atau kain ikat tenun ini dengan nama kain limar. 

Kain ini sangat popular di kalangan pembesar atau keluarga diraja silam dan ada dicatatkan dalam Hikayat Hang Tuah:

“Maka Laksamana pun memakai berseluar kuning berkain kesumba merup diantelas, bertepi bersirat, berikat pinggang cindai natar kuning, berbaju hijau digangsa, berdestar warna pelangi…”

Selain Hikayat Hang Tuah, Hikayat Awang Sulung Merah Muda banyak menyebut tentang cindai.  Salah sebuah pantun Melayu lama ada berbunyi:

Anak cindai anak serasah

            Ketiga anak rakam keling

Kalau diampai bertambah basah

            Kalau direndam bertambah kering

Patola telah mula dikenali di Gujerat sejak abad ke-10/11 M berdasarkan sajak atau syair Ranak Devi, isteri Rakhengar dari Junagadh. Ranak Devi telah mengkafankan suaminya dengan kain patola dalam peristiwa perbalahannya dengan Siddharaja Jaysingh.

Namun demikian, Ibn Batuta mencatatkan, perdagangan tchinde (cindai) ke Nusantara adalah sejak abad ke-14M.  Semenanjung Melayu mula mengimport cindai dari Gujerat antara 1612-1614 M.  Antara warna kegemaran ialah hijau, cerah, merah dan kuning.

Cindai di kalangan masyarakat Nusantara silam dikaitkan dengan kesaktian kain tersebut.  Ia dikatakan boleh menyelamatkan pemakai daripada bahaya serangan musuh.  Selain itu, mereka mengkagumi kain cindai sehingga lahir ungkapan “mati berkapan cindai” yang bermaksud mati sebagai pahlawan atau dalam keadaan gemilang.

Koleksi cindai Muzium Seni Asia dan muzium-muzium lain di negara ini biasanya berbentuk selendang yang panjang (seperti kain sari).  Ada yang berukuran 5.5 meter panjang, berambu di hujung, warna merah tua dengan corak dan motif bunga atau bunga paisley yang diulang-ulang.

Corak di kepala (bahagian hujung atau punca kain) dan badan kain (bahagian tengah kain) berbeza.  Bahan badan kain akan dihias dengan corak tumbuhan atau binatang (gajah atau harimau) yang diulang-ulang atau tanpa apa-apa corak tertentu – berwarna kuning atau merah polos.

Terdapat sepuluh corak dasar yang sering digunakan terutama tumbuh-tumbuhan, zoomorfik dan motif geometri. Berdasarkan maklumat yang diperolehi, antara cindai yang amat sukar dijumpai di negara ini ialah cindai berwarna biru dan cindai yang mempunyai motif gajah berjuang.

Kain-kain cindai banyak dieksport ke Indonesia khasnya kerana para pembesar kerajaan silam menggunakan cindai sebagai bahan membuat pakaian kebesaran berbanding di negara ini hanya menggunakannya sebagai bengkung atau ikat pinggang. Manakala bahan pakaian raja-raja Melayu silam menggunakan kain songket tenun yang gemilang. 

Sumber kerajaan Ming menyebut bahawa pembesar Majapahit memakai sarung dari kain cindai, begitu pembesar-pembesar di Yogyakarta dan di Surakarta.  Selain itu, cindai juga dipakai oleh penari-penari istana kedua-dua kerajaan berkenaan.

Sehingga kini, warisan kain cindai yang ada menunjukkan cindai yang telahpun mulai usang, tetapi warna-warnanya masih terang tidak pudar. Ia juga mulai menunjukkan tenunan yang semakin longgar (loose woven) kerana faktor usia.  Muzium Seni Asia hanya mempunyai dua helai cindai yang masih dalam keadaan baik, iaitu kain cindai dari abad ke-18.  Kedua-dua berwarna hitam yang terdiri daripada corak tumbuh-tumbuhan.

Di India, kain cindai atau patola ini digunakan terutama sebagai sari dan hanya dipakai pada masa upacara suci atau masa-masa tertentu sahaja.  Selain itu, kain patola ini haya dipakai oleh pengantin dari keluarga kaya berketurunan Bhatia dan Brahmin di Gujerat dan ibu yang sedang mengandung tujuh bulan.  Keluarga-keluarga yang tidak mampu akan menyimpan sisa-sisa kain ini sebagai milik yang suci.  Pada masa sekarang, kain jenis ini hanya dihasilkan oleh dua keluarga Salvi dari daerah Patan di Gujerat.

UM. Kain cindai

UM. Kian cindai

SOLO EXHIBITION BY ISMADI MUHAMAD: ARJUNA

Pameran Solo Ismadi bertajuk Arjuna di Muzium Seni Asia ialah dari 18 Januari 2014- 18 Februari 2014. Kurator pameran ialah Stephen Menon.

Berikut beberapa foto karya dan persiapan pameran.

WHAT NEXT NOVEMBER 2015 @ MUSEUM OF ASIAN ART, UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA

Life In Acres : Tales of Indian Farmers in Malaysia During Post Independence. November 2015.

Collaboration work by:- 

1. Museum of Asian Art, University of Malaya, 

2. Library University of Malaya, 

3. Vallinam.com.my 

The details of the programs are as follow;

Launching	:	1st November 2015 ( Sunday ) at 1pm
Exhibition	:	1st November 2015 – 15th November 2015
Public Talk	:	1st November 2015 ( Sunday ) between 2pm - 5pm

Venue: Ruang Malaysiana, Museum of Asian Art, University of Malaya

ALL ARE WELCOME 

Please Contact 03-79673805 for further information.

Malaysia Puppet Shadow Exhibition in National Cheng Kung University Museum, Taiwan 2015-2016

Malaysia Puppet Shadow Exhibition in National Cheng Kung University Museum, Taiwan 2015-2016

The Museum of Asian Art, University of Malaya will have a special exhibition at the National Cheng Kung University Museum in Tainan, Taiwan beginning from 12th November 2015 to 30th September, 2016,  titled: Malaysia Puppet Shadow Exhibition - A Special Collection from the Museum of Asian Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

This exhibition, is a part of the Memorandum of Understanding between Museum of Asian Art University of Malaya and National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) Museum which was signed on 26th August 2011.

NCKU, was represented by the University President,  Prof. Dr Hwung-Hweng Hwung while the University of Malaya by Vice Chancellor, Tan Sri Prof. Dr Ghauth Jasmon. The MoU, agreed on the following:-   

a.       Staff training in areas such as curatorial, marketing and artefact authentication;

b.       Exchange programmes between the Museum such as internship or staff exchange;

c.       Co hosting or co-organizing exhibitions and conferences;

d.       Sharing of expertise between the Museum in areas of mutual interest;

e.       Liasing with local organization in each respective country for any future programmes of the museum; and

f.        Sharing of other activities and programmes in areas of mutual interest, whare such sharing shall result in benefit to both Parties, 

To fulfill the above commitment, NCKU Museum had the “Ancient Lock Exhibition” in the Museum of Asian Art, University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur,  on 19th September 2012 to 19th November 2012.

The lock collection was Professor Hong-Sen Yan, the University Chair Professor from the Department of Mechanical Engineering personal collection. A total of 150 locks were displayed to the Malaysian public. Professor Hong-Sen Yan was also  the Vice President of NCKU.

To reciprocate the event in 2012, the Museum of Asian Art is exhibiting  70 of the rare collection of shadow puppets belonging to  the famous puppet master, Pak Dollah Baju Merah (Father Dollah) whose real name is Abdullah Bin Ibrahim.

The whole collection of Father Dollah in the Museum of Asian Art totaled more than 90 pieces including musical instrument. The collection of the puppet is accredited pieces by his master.

(According to Kelantan wayang custom, the student must swim to a raft containing the puppet set which were set adrift to the middle of a wide river and the student must retrieve the puppet and drag it back to the river bank).   

Father Dollah emerged as the principal force responsible for substantial changes in wayang repertoire. He created  a lasting and contemporary tradition of cerita ranting (branch stories) that combined all the elements of bawdiness, sensuality and drama. Popular Hindi songs found their way into his musical repertoire, and his comic sequences embraced sardonic political satire.  This made his performances very attractive and he has a large fan base. His contribution and creativity is recognise by PUSAKA, a non-profit organisation which created an award for individuals involved in with preservation and promotion of traditional performing arts. This award is called Abdullah Ibrahim Memorial Award for Cultural Preservation.

 The official opening ceremony for the Malaysia Puppet Shadow Exhibition in National Cheng Kung University Museum, Taiwan 2015-2016 is on Thursday,  12th of November 2015, where the President of the NCKU will grace the function. The Vice Chancellor of University of Malaya will be represented by Associate Prof. Dr. Mohamad Nasir Hashim, the Director of the Cultural Centre, University of Malaya.   

For more information please contact: 

Curator

Museum of Asian Art

University of Malaya

50603 Kuala Lumpur

tel: +603-79673805

museum.um.edu.my

SIMPOSIUM MUSEUM DAN WARISAN BUDAYA INSTITUT TEKNOLOGI BANDUNG, INDONESIA

Sebuah kertas kerja telah dapat dibentang dalam Simposium ini - Peranan Muzium dan Galeri Seni Universiti Malaya.
16-18 Disember 2014. Pada masa yang sama, sempat  juga saya berjumpa dengan Bapak AD Pirous, pelukis tersohor Indonesia. Bersama Juhari Said.
  

Life In Acres : Tales of Indian Farmers in Malaysia During Post Independence. November 2015.

Next Exhibition @ Museum of Asian Art, University of Malaya. Please Contact 03-79673805 for further information.

Some of artwork, displayed during the exhibition.

RESIDENT ARTIST UNIVERSITY MALAYA : LONG THIEN SHIEH

Pelukis Long Thien Shieh, pernah menjadi salah seorang residen artist Universiti Malaya. Sebagai seorang artist print, saya mengenali beliau secara sepintas lalu, semasa bersama-sama mengikuti kursus pemuliharaan lukisan di Balai Seni Lukis Negara, suatu ketika pada akhir 1998, lama dahulu.

Sebelum beliau menyetai keluarga besar Universiti Malaya, saya sempat ke studio beliau di kawasan Damansara.

Karya-karya print beliau yang tergantung rapi, signafikan dan memiliki identiti sendiri,
adalah karya yang dapat dikesan dari kerja tangan beliau.

LTS selalu peramah, kata-katanya tulus dan cerdas. Pernah sekali kami berjumpa dengan Tan Sri Ghauth, secara jelas, beliau menunjukkan pendiriannya, sebagai artis dan sebagai rakyat Malaysia. TS Ghauth juga memberikan pandangan yang lebih neutral. 

Add caption

FESTIVAL GAMBUS SERANTAU 2015 NOTA 4: TALI DAN LUBANG NYAWA

Saya antara orang yang bernasib baik, diberi kesempatan oleh Jabatan Muzium Malaysia, bagi menjalankan satu penyelidikan di bawah Penentuan Fakta Sejarah Negara dari 2008 - 2010, di bawah penyelidik utama Kamarudin Zakaria.

Ijazah, tidak semestinya mencerminkan kerjaya anda. Dari seorang arkeologis yang bergelumang dengan tanah dan tahi kelawar, yang sudah mati, namun dapat juga menterjemah data-data lapangan yang masih hidup. Pelaku budaya yang ditemui, iaitu masyarakat suku kaum Brunei Sabah yang mendiami hampir keseluruhan kawasan pantai Sabah.

Bongawan, merupakan pusat budaya Melayu Brunei, yang sangat berpotensi untuk memiliki identiti sendiri, khususnya melalui kesenian gambus.

Majlis-majlis pernikahan, keraian kerajaan dan di hotel-hotel telah mulai dipenuhi oleh muzik dan dendangan lagu-lagu Melayu Brunei.

Keunikan gambus Melayu Brunei, yang dapat saya kesan adalah dari segi teknologi bunyi yang menjadi rahsia kehebatan pantingan gambus mereka. Tali dan Lubang nyawa dalam Gambus Masyarakat Melayu Brunei Sabah.

Berikut adalah foto-foto yang diambil yang menunjukkan tali dan lubang nyawa Gambus Brunei Sabah.

Tali nyawa - yang terdapat dalam gambus seludang hasil karya
Pak Tajul Munchi, Kg Pimping, Sipitang Sabah.   

Lubang Nyawa (tiga lubang di bahagian perut gambus). Gambus selindang,
karya Malai Ali Malai Osman, Kg Manggis, Papar, Sabah. 

RETURNING THE ARTIFACTS TO THE COUNTRY OWNER

Sudah banyak berita yang saya baca tentang pemulangan artifak kepada negara asal, penyeludupan oleh individu atau sendiket, perampasan barang artifak sebagai harta rampasan perang (sebagaimana kelakuan sesetengah negara terhadap harta Iran, Iraq dan Afghanistan).

Penguatkuassan pemulangan seumpama ini sangat dialu-alukan. Apatah lagi dikuat kuasakan peraturan atau undang-undang larangan pemerdagangan harta warisan negara lain melalui Konvensyen ICOM.

Namun dalam beberapa perkara, perlu diambil maklum oleh sang penguat kuasa termasuk - pemilikan yang diperolehi sejak tahun 1940an dan 1950an yang dijadikan hadiah oleh para pengkaji dan penyelidik, artifak dibeli oleh kurator dari orang perseorangan pada zaman belum diwujudkan undang-undang penyeludupan lintas benua dan sebagainya.

Dalam kes seorang kurator (nama) dari Bangkok, warga negara US yang mati dalam penjara juga dikaitkan dengan beliau disyaki menyeludup artifak dari Thailand ke US. Kematian itu memberi impak tentang terdedahnya para pengamal permuziuman yang membawa bahan artifak untuk pameran dan pengesahan dating misalnya, dikenakan tindakan undang-undang apabila kekurangan dokumen perjalanan artifak.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/thailand-return-recovered-artefacts

RANG UNDANG-UNDANG LEMBAGA PEMBANGUNAN SENI VISUAL NEGARA 2010

Berikut ialah rujukan berkaitan rang Undang-undang Pembangunan Seni Visual Negara 2010.

http://arteri.search-art.asia/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/nvadb_bill_BM.pdf

Elok dilihat juga Rang Undang-undang Balai Seni Lukis Negara. (?)

PROF GORGE WESSALA WROTE ABOUT MUSEUM OF ASIAN ART, UM

PROF GORGE WESSALA* WROTE ABOUT MUSEUM OF ASIAN ART, UM

Technocrats with Art Sense: The Asian Art Museum (Muzium Seni Asia), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia[1]

The collection at the Museum of Asian Art (Muzium Seni Asia, MSA)[2] is located inside the campus of Malaysia’s oldest University, Universiti Malaya (UM). The roots of the Museum can be traced to the establishment in 195/45 of the Asian Art Museum at the then University of Malaya located in Singapore. Until 1969, the collection was housed in Singapore, and a substantial number of artifacts (collections 1-3) remain in the museum of the National University of Singapore (NUS)[3]. At the time of writing, UM was the only University in Malaysia to own such a museum. It holds four paintings by M.F. Husain. The UM Museum of Asian Art appropriately complements the presence of the Asia-Europe Institute (Institut Asia-Eropah - see Chapter Seven) nearby at the University, since both institutions have a tangible concern with matters of ‘exchange’, ‘learning’, ‘cultures’ and ‘creativity’.

The purpose of the UM collection is pedagogic, and the objects on display here adhere to the narrative which also underlies the predominant political discourse of modern Malaysia, focusing on the country as a modern, multi-cultural, nation, embracing Chinese, Indian, Malay and Tribal heritage. In the director’s own words, MSA is pursuing an academic ideal aiming at the creation of a more holistic education for students here: ‘technocrats with an art-sense’ was how he phrased it. This holistic-pedagogic theme can be detected also in the National Museum of Malaysia (Muzium Negara) in Kuala Lumpur[4]. Although the museum does not, at first sight, disclose a strong narrative of Europe-Asia relations, it nevertheless allows many glimpses at the history of the trading networks, routes and hubs, which bound the Malay world to Europe, the Middle East and Persia, and to China, Korea and Japan.

It is thus, perhaps indirectly, in the remarkable ceramics and porcelain collections of this site that a history of East-West aesthetics, trade, imitation and influence is subtly revealed, through the display of export-oriented wares which were, of course, based on perceptions of what was, and what was not, considered ‘fashionable’, ‘saleable’, or ‘tasteful’ in markets such as Europe. Next to social strata and market forces, what is also reflected in the displays of Muzium Seni Asia is the effect of the Asian politics of the past on Europe, through the character of ceramics. For example, against the background of an unstable situation in China following the collapse of the Ming Dynasty, the Dutch traders, who were the key carriers of Chinese porcelain to Europe at the time, began to encourage new Japanese artists, instead of the traditional Chinese ones, to produce export ware such as Kakiemon (see above). An augmented Japanese porcelain manufacture, in turn, was one of the enablers of later Dutch-Japanese mercantile, scientific and cultural contacts (see Chapter Four).

At MSA, one example of inter-continental artistic patterns ‘crossing over’ (in more ways than one), is the museum’s delicate Kraak ware,[5] a kind of Chinese export-porcelain, produced mainly during the reign of the Wanli Emperor (1563-1620), and until around 1640. It was among the first Chinese export porcelain ware to arrive in Europe in large quantities, and can frequently be seen in Dutch still-life paintings of ‘foreign luxuries’. MSA has a significant collection of around 280 Malay Kendi (from Sanskrit: kundika, ‘pure-water-dropper’) ritualistic drinking vessels. Kendi are unique and embody the ‘local genius’ of Malay invention. They also testify to a busy technology-transfer and trade with Europe, Siam, China and Vietnam through entrepôts such as Johor, Malacca and Ayutthaya (see Chapter One). By showcasing a wealth of other ‘inter-cultural’ objects as diverse as jars from Martaban (in modern Burma/ Myanmar) and European plates with Arabic calligraphy designs (UM 76.12), the MSA exhibits in Kuala Lumpur speak eloquently of trade-routes, profits, networks and entrepôt bases which developed into meeting places of cultures, bearing testimony of fashions of mercantilism, as well as changing mindsets. The MSA website explains:

This porcelain eventually lost its popularity towards the end of the 17th century during the transition period between the Ming and the Ching Dynasty. With the English taking over the trade with China, products from the Jingdezhen kilns began to face competition from manufacturers in Swatow, whose products were relatively cheaper and bore newer designs known as san sui or willow pattern. Traces of this porcelain were discovered in areas along the silk routes (sea) such as the coasts of Africa, Middle Asia, Kamakura in Japan, the Philippines, the Pahang River, Tioman Island, Kota Tinggi and Johor Lama in Johor and also in Kedah (source: http://www.um.edu.my/museum/). 

When I met the director of the MSA on 15 March 2013, I queried him about what the museum’s exhibits can reveal in the context of a ‘European Studies in Asia’ academic discipline. In response, Dr Abd Aziz Rashid mentioned Portuguese and English influence on indigenous ite polang putang (duck) wood-carving patterns, or on Malay floral porcelain designs (bakul pung) to render them less repetitive. Much of this influence would have been mediated through the port city of Malacca, captured by the Portuguese in 1511. Last but not least, almost as a footnote, it is revealing that, next to European figurines (e.g. UM), the Muzium Seni Asia collection also displays a small statue of a ‘Central Asiatic Foreigner’ (UM 58.19) - possibly originating from the Sogdian Empire (see Chapter Two).

* Prof Wessala is a adjunct professor at the University of Malaya, till end of 2014. 

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[1] My warm thanks go to Abd Aziz Bin Abdul Rashid, for an interview granted on Tuesday, 19 March 2013.

[2] http://www.um.edu.my/museum/  

[3] http://www.nus.edu.sg/cfa/museum/index.php

[4] http://www.muziumnegara.gov.my/main/  

[5] The name is believed to be a corruption of the word for the Portuguese merchant-ships (carracks). 

MUZIUM UNIVERSITI DI MALAYSIA

Adapun muzium universiti di Malaysia dapat dikategorikan kepada:-

1. Muzium yang diwujudkan di peringkat fakulti sebagai ruang untuk mempamerkan sebahagian daripada sejarah fakulti, menyimpan barangan awal, cokmar, sijil-sijil dan gambar-gambar serta peralatan berkaitan disiplin ilmu yang diajarkan di fakulti berkenaan.

2. Muzium yang diwujudkan dan digunakan sebagai ruang untuk membantu pelajar atau sebagai learning centre kepada fakulti berkenaan.

3. Muzium yang diwujudkan diperingkat universiti bagi menyimpan sejarah penubuhan, kecemerlangan dan kejayaan serta sumbangan universiti yang diiktiraf diperingkat kebangsaan dan di peringkat antarabangasa.

4. Muzium yang diwujudkan tanpa dikaitkan dengan mana-mana fakulti melainkan berperanan untuk melaksanakan pameran yang bersifat sebahagian daripada peranan universiti dalam memp[romosikan hal-hal yang lebih umum seperti seni, kebudayaan dan hal-hal berkaitan dengan outrewach progem pihak luar kepada pelajat universiti.