Exhibition mines the rich history of the Malay archipelago

Raden Saleh's 1842 painting Horse Attacked By Lion, on loan from JT Lim, is believed to be a nationalistic work, where the lion represents Indonesians and the white horse represents the Dutch colonisers. PHOTOS: MHC.

[SINGAPORE] In a new exhibition at the Malay Heritage Centre - the last one before it closes for major renovations - there hangs a small painting of a lion attacking a white horse, painted in 1840 by Raden Saleh, widely considered the father of Indonesian modernity.

Though it may seem to some as simply a beautiful painting, it is filled with symbolism: At a time when Indonesia was under Dutch colonial rule, the painting was meant to invoke nationalistic pride with its depiction of a brown lion (Indonesia) attacking a white horse (the Dutch). The work was a call to Indonesians to overthrow their rulers and gain independence - at least, this is how historians interpret it.

The inclusion of the painting at this exhibition of the Malay Heritage Centre before it closes for renovations in the second half of this year is significant. Since its inception, the Malay Heritage Centre has sought to expand the understanding of the Malay world far beyond Singapore - to include the cultures of Malaysia, Brunei and especially Indonesia, where some 1,340 ethnic groups live and practise their own traditions and customs. Many Singaporean Malays trace their ancestry back to the vast Indonesian archipelago.

The objects on display hail from the Nusantara or the larger Malay world stretching from the Malaysian peninsula to the Indonesian archipelago. There are stunning gold wedding jewellery pieces from South Sulawesi on loan from Khir Johari, the writer of The Food Of Singapore Malays. There are traditional dance costumes from the Indonesian cities and towns of Makassar, Yogyakarta, Jombang and Palembang, which hint at how vastly different each dance form is.

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There are ancient tin ingots in the shape of the rooster, fish, tortoise and grasshopper. These were used as currency in the Malay World from the 15th century, with each distinctively-shaped ingot having been used in the different Sultanates.

And there is an ornate "circumcision chair", on which an embarrassed young boy would sit on after he gets circumcised, so that he may be treated like royalty for a day, according to ancient custom. (Incidentally, the chair is also on loan from Khir.)

But the exhibition is not just interested in the distant past. Guest curator Syed Muhammad Hafiz says: "We were conscious of connecting the past with the present. Hence, we looked for more contemporary objects such as Fandi Ahmad's 1994 Malaysia Cup football gold medal (on loan from the ex-striker), which prompted visitors to joyously regale us with stories of driving up to Kuala Lumpur that see that match, and an original 1980 LP of now-defunct band Sweet Charity, seeing as how its former frontman Ramli Sarip is experiencing a revival of sorts in recent years."

The curators also worked closely with 50 students and teachers from Nanyang Polytechnic to create digital animation videos inspired by the 15th century folk story about the attack of garfish or swordfish on Temasek. They commissioned hot young contemporary artist Khairulddin Wahab to create a large landscape painting depicting the Malay world of yore.

Curator Hafiz says: "We wanted objects and works that can easily trigger memories and spark conversations about the rich, complex history of Singapore and the Nusantara region… There is, for instance, an ancient spice cupboard in the shape of a pagoda. It serves to remind us that before the arrival of Islam, the predominant religions in the Malay archipelago were Hinduism and Buddhism. We are all connected to each other more deeply than we realise."

The exhibition, titled Cerita (Stories), is housed in the buildings next to the permanent galleries at Malay Heritage Centre, 85 Sultan Gate. It runs from now till July 31, 2022.