Tom Luxsox Coins

Malaya British

Antique Lamps – Nyonya - The Phoenix and the Peony

Peranakan, Baba–Nyonya and Straits Chinese are all names used for the descendants of early Chinese traders, mostly from the Fukien province of China, who can trace their migration to the 14th century.

Southern Malaya, Malacca, Penang and Singapore Peranakan, all translate from Malay as descendant, Babas referring to male descendants and Nyonya to female descendants.

Historically, the Malay Peninsula was divided into small kingdoms, or Sultanates and it is to the kingdom of Malacca that we must look to find the origin of the Nyonya Chinese communities.Retracing our steps to the 15th century, we find ourselves in the Imperial court of the Ming dynasty's Yongle Emperor who appointed Zheng He to lead a vast navel fleet of 317 ships with a crew of 28.000!  Zheng was a monumental explorer, mariner, diplomat and admiral of the Chinese fleet and is still revered in modern China.

Between 1405 and 1433, admiral Zheng had led seven naval expeditions, visiting ports as far apart as Arabia, India, East Africa and ports through out South East Asia with the Imperial instructions to establish a Chinese presence across the region and establish trade links.

From official Chinese records, we know that in the year 1411, Parameswara, the King of Malacca and a retinue of 540 officials travelled to the Chinese Imperial court to pay homage to the Yongle Emperor. 

Malacca became a protectorate of the Emperor which saw the rapid development of the Malaccan kingdom, its geographical position ensuring its development into a major trade crossroad between China and India, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.  Malacca became an important trade port and soon evolved into a very rich state.

With the enormous volume of trade and traffic between China and the Malacca Straits, shifts in population became inevitable and many from the south of China became permanent citizens of Southern Malaya, however, the descendants of these 15th century Chinese immigrants, the Nyonya, have a much more romantic story of their origin.

According to traditional accounts, in 1459, the Emperor of China sent a Chinese princess, Hang Li Po, to marry the Sultan, Mansur Shah of Malacca, in recognition of their political relationship. tradition has it, that the princess was accompanied by an entourage of 500 servants, maids and officials and it is from this courtly retinue that the Nyonya communities descended.  

These conservative Chinese communities, now remote from China, were to evolve into a unique society over the ensuing centuries.  Known in Malay as Peranakan, meaning, descendants, they held fast to their ethnic and religious traditions, which was ancestor worship, but adopted the language and much of the culture of the Malays.

Historically, these Malay Straits kingdoms, so important to trade, were effectively occupied and colonised over a period of 400 years, first by the Portuguese, then the Dutch and finally, the British, who established the modern state of Singapore in 1819.

Throughout the period of British colonisation, the Nyonya communities did well, being favored by the British administration for their administrative skills and their loyalty to the British crown. The British administration advocated free trade, with all previous trade restrictions and heavy tariffs being lifted, resulting in the economies of the Malay Peninsula and Singapore surging! This change in policy provided unlimited trading opportunities for the Nyonya communities to prosper. 

This new wealth provided communities to add to their unique customs and traditions with some very specific tastes and styles.  Already established with a unique cuisine, costume, architecture, language, song and dance, but, paramount amongst these is the famous Nyonya porcelain, the earliest, being produced in the first years of the 19th century.    

Nyonya ware, Peranakan Chinese porcelain and Straits Chinese porcelain are all terms used to describe the distinctive, brightly coloured porcelains commissioned for the exclusive use of the Straits Chinese communities.

Nyonya porcelain is entirely different, with no reference to any other class of Chinese porcelain produced.  It is distinguished by a relatively small range of robust colours and a preference for a predominant decoration, the phoenix and the peony.   

The Nyonya porcelain lamp shown, illustrates this predominant decoration with its distinctive use of bright pink and green enamels, decorated with the traditional phoenix and peony flowers.

 

 

A 19th century, Chinese export, baluster shaped lamp, previously an altar vase and converted into a lamp, probably in the 1920's.  

The lamp boldly coloured, with a bright, pea green ground colour and decorated with branches of shaded, pink peony flowers, buds and foliage.    

The ground with two yellow framed ogival shaped reserves enamelled with a distinctive bright rose pink ground.  The reserved ground enamelled in polychrome enamels with a phœnix hovering above branches of shaded Peony flowers.

 

 

The neck of the lamp with applied Buddhist lions of Fo, the shoulder of the lamp with four applied dragons, all in vivid green and pink.  The base of the lamp enamelled with a band of bright yellow, formalised, rectangular lotus petals.

The lamp on a Chinese stand, lacquered in Chinese black, the lamp cap, custom made in gold plated bronze.

This is a very fine example of the unique 19th century Chinese porcelain specifically produced for the Malay Straits and Singaporean Chinese communities.

 Circa 1870        Overall height (including shade) 24"/61cm

 The Nyonya had held fast to their ethnic Chinese customs and maintained many Chinese traditions, such as celebrating the Lunar New Year and the Lantern Festival, plus, adopting many of the customs of the land in which they had settled. 

By the early 19th century the Nyonya Chinese merchants began the practice of commissioning large porcelain services to be made at the great ceramic centre of Jingdezhen in South Eastern China.

These custom orders were made for the exclusive use of the Straits Chinese communities, with their original bright colours, designs and original shapes.

These services were specifically reserved for important festive occasions, such as weddings, birthdays and anniversaries with the majority of the pieces decorated with the phœnix and the peony on the small range of vivid colours, pea green, rose pink and the less often found yellow and coral red.

In Chinese art, both formal and informal, the phœnix symbolises the Empress and by extension, female.  It also symbolises virtue, duty, alignment, compassion, and loyalty.

The peony, known as "The Queen of Flowers", symbolises summer, love and affection.  It also indicates a hope for greater advancement and is also a synonym for nobility and gracefulness. 

On the occasion of a wedding, it was the bride who was presented with a full service of Nyonya ware and it is considered that this decorative style was developed, being that the highly symbolic motifs are exclusively female. The phœnix was also sometimes depicted with a flaming pearl, symbolizing an auspicious bridal union.

Vase shapes were also produced to be placed on the family altar, not for flower arrangements as practiced in the West.  The Nyonya religious practice was Taoist and vases were considered as altar furniture, flowers only being placed in these vases for religious purposes. 

Since independence from Britain, the Straits Chinese, Nyonya ethnic group have largely assimilated into the mainstream Chinese community and as a result, the modern changes have led to the virtual disappearance of the distinctive Nyonya culture.  The porcelains made especially for this social group have only in recent years been recognised for their true value as links to this fast fading unique culture. Peranakan Chinese culture is today carried on by several cultural associations who maintain performing arts groups.

Interior lighting is an important aspect of our way of life and we have plenty of options to choose from.  Usually, it is our personalities that dictate the choices we make and the choice of lighting is no exception.

Antique lamps, however, are an exception to the rule, offering a wide range of lamps to all personality types. Elegant lamps to the classically interior minded, ethnic lamps to the eclectic interior minded and surprisingly, antique table lamps to the contemporary interior minded.  Lamps, antique and vintage are perfectly at home, even in the most modern interior, offering decorative and practical lighting solutions for all interior styles.        

These lamps can be seen on The Antique and Vintage Table Lamp Co's web site.

The Antique and Vintage Table Lamp Co specialise in antique lamps with an exclusive on-line range of over 100 unique lamps.  Lamps are shipped ready wired for the US, the UK and Australia.

For further information you are invited to visit their web site at -:

http://www.antiquelampshop.com

 

© The Antique and Vintage Table Lamp Co 2010

 

 

About the Author

Maurice Robertson, principal of The Antique and Vintage Table Lamp Co, has had a lifetime's association with antique porcelain and pottery, with his commercial experience spanning a period of over 45 years,including valuer to the Australian Government's Incentive to the Arts Scheme. His long experience with antique ceramics and glass also includes dealing with leading museums and numerous international private collections. He has extended his ceramics expertise into the quality table lamps seen on the company's site and is well known to local and international interior designers who have included many of his table lamps in their projects. He has also supplied items of national interest to the official Sydney residence of the Australian Prime Minister.

A Descriptive Dictionary of British Malaya $32.69 This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

Sikhs in the Policing of British Malaya and Straits Settlements $130.55 This publication examines the position and role of Sikhs in the policing of British Malaya and the Straits Settlements. The Sikhs were employed in the Colonial Police Forces of the Straits Settlements and the Peninsula Malaya from 1874 to 1957.The Sikh 'martial' self-image coupled with the given colonial classification of their community as a 'Martial Race' served to ensure their employment in these colonial law enforcement agencies. The Sikhs were able to entrench themselves in Malaya and Singapore largely because of the para-military nature of the early Colonial Police Forces as well as the reluctance of the Chinese and indigenous Malays to serve as policemen in these parts of the Empire. This publication goes on to show how these early Sikh migrants and police recruits eventually became the genesis of settled Sikh communities in these parts of the Far East.

The Postwar Rapprochement of Malaya and Japan 1945-61 $171 The author analyses the development of postwar Malayo-Japanese rapprochement from the resumption of unofficial economic relations to establishment of formal diplomatic relations, which happened along with the return of British administration in Malaya and Malayan decolonisation. The focus is placed on the role of Britain as the suzerain of Malaya, in facilitating Japanese return to Malaya. The motivations behind the keen promotion of rapprochement by Malayan and Japanese leaders through the exchange of Prime Ministerial visits are also closely discussed.

British Malaya: An Account of the Origin and Progress of British Influence in Malaya $33.49 This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

The Kuomintang Movement in British Malaya, 1912-1949 $23.4 No Synopsis Available

Malaya $18.09 Rated: NRSynopsis: The rare pairing of James Stewart and Spencer Tracy sparks this tale of an intrigue-filled, true-life wartime operation. Tracy portrays tough, edgy Carnahan. Stewart is sly foreign correspondent and Far East expert John Royer, a man with a plan who tells U.S. officials: "With the right kind of money and the wrong kind of man, I can get that rubber out for you." And with its right kind of stars, this brawny classic gets maximum heroics every moment. Adventure and starpower - Sydney Greenstreet in his final film, Lionel Barrymore and Gilbert Roland - are on the map in Malaya.

Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam $144 Armies are invariably accused of preparing to fight the last war. Nagl examines how armies learn during the course of conflicts for which they are initially unprepared in organization, training, and mindset. He compares the development of counterinsurgency doctrine and practice in the Malayan Emergency from 1948-1960 with that developed in the Vietnam Conflict from 1950-1975, through use of archival sources and interviews with participants in both conflicts. In examining these two events, he argues that organizational culture is the key variable in determining the success or failure of attempts to adapt to changing circumstances. Differences in organizational culture is the primary reason why the British Army learned to conduct counterinsurgency in Malaya while the American Army failed to learn in Vietnam. The American Army resisted any true attempt to learn how to fight an insurgency during the course of the Vietnam Conflict, preferring to treat the war as a conventional conflict in the tradition of the Korean War or World War II. The British Army, because of its traditional role as a colonial police force and the organizational characteristics that its history and the national culture created, was better able to quickly learn and apply the lessons of counterinsurgency during the course of the Malayan Emergency. This is the first study to apply organizational learning theory to cases in which armies were engaged in actual combat.

Malaya, 1949 $34.99 Malaya, 1949 - Giclee Print

Letters from Malaya by Mills, Joan Frances [Paperback] $28.98 My father was a captain in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (R.E.M.E.) and was sent to Malaya with his young family as part of the British governments response to the armed revolt of the Malayan Communist party. An emergency was declared which lasted from 1952 until 1960. The British encouraged Merdeka (Independence) through political means whilst instigating military counterinsurgency measures against the MCP. This remains the only successful jungle campaign against Communism ever to be fought by a Western power. Author: Mills, Joan Frances Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 476 Publication Date: 2006/10/01 Language: English Dimensions: 8.00 x 5.00 x 1.06 inches

Indigenous Political Systems of Western Malaya $124.9 An analysis of the political organization of the traditional government of the Malay Sultans before the introduction of British rule in 1874.

The War of the Running Dogs: How Malaya Defeated the Communist Guerrillas 1948-1960 $15.7 Only three short years after the end of the Japanese occupation, war came again to Malaya. The Chinese-backed guerrillas called it the War of the Running Dogs - their contemptuous term for those in Malaya who remained loyal to the British. The British Government referred to this bloody and costly struggle as the 'Malayan Emergency'. Yet it was a war that lasted twelve years and cost thousands of lives. By the time it was over Malaya had obtained its independence - but on British, not on Chinese or Communist terms. Here is the war as it was. Here are the planters and their wives on their remote rubber estates, the policemen, the generals and the soldiers, the Malays, Chinese and Indians of a polyglot country, all fighting an astute, ruthless, and well organized enemy. REVIEWS .,"paints a journalistic profile of the modern mercenary. The author traveled to Sierra Leone, Bosnia, Lebanon, the Congo, Angola, and elsewhere in order to give the reader insight into who takes on the role of the mercenary in contemporary times and their role in the world's conflicts." Book News, 06/2008

The Royal Lincolns in Malaya $24.99 The Royal Lincolns in Malaya - Photographic Print

The Postwar Rapprochement of Malaya and Japan, 1945-61: The Roles of Britain and Japan in South-East Asia $183.99 Junko Tomaru analyzes the development of postwar Malayo-Japanese rapprochement from the resumption of unofficial economic relations to establishment of formal diplomatic relations, which happened along with the return of British administration in Malaya and Malayan decolonization. The focus is placed on the role of Britain as the suzerain of Malay in facilitating Japanese return to Malaya. The motivations behind the promotion of rapprochement by Malayan and Japanese leaders through the exchange of Prime Ministerial visits are also closely discussed.

Eastern Customs : The Customs Service in British Malaya and the Opium Trade $59.28 No Synopsis Available

Malaya, James Stewart, 1949 $19.99 Malaya, James Stewart, 1949 - Premium Poster

Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam $14.21 Invariably, armies are accused of preparing to fight the previous war. In" Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife," Lieutenant Colonel John A. Nagl--a veteran of both Operation Desert Storm and the current conflict in Iraq--considers the now-crucial question of how armies adapt to changing circumstances during the course of conflicts for which they are initially unprepared. Through the use of archival sources and interviews with participants in both engagements, Nagl compares the development of counterinsurgency doctrine and practice in the Malayan Emergency from 1948 to 1960 with what developed in the Vietnam War from 1950 to 1975. In examining these two events, Nagl--the subject of a recent "New York Times Magazine" cover story by Peter Maass--argues that organizational culture is key to the ability to learn from unanticipated conditions, a variable which explains why the British army successfully conducted counterinsurgency in Malaya but why the American army failed to do so in Vietnam, treating the war instead as a conventional conflict. Nagl concludes that the British army, because of its role as a colonial police force and the organizational characteristics created by its history and national culture, was better able to quickly learn and apply the lessons of counterinsurgency during the course of the Malayan Emergency. With a new preface reflecting on the author's combat experience in Iraq, "Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife" is a timely examination of the lessons of previous counterinsurgency campaigns that will be hailed by both military leaders and interested civilians.

Hotel Malaya $35 Hotel Malaya is located in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown Sentral neighborhood, close to Petaling Street, Merdeka Square, and Jamek Mosque. Nearby points of interest also include Sultan Abdul Samad Building and National Mosque. Hotel Features. Dining options at Hotel Malaya include a restaurant and a coffee shop/caf?. Room service is available 24 hours a day. The hotel serves a complimentary breakfast. Recreational amenities include a fitness facility. This 3 star property has a business center and offers secretarial services and business services. High speed Internet access is available in public areas. Guest parking is complimentary. Additional property amenities include a concierge desk, multilingual staff, and currency exchange. Guestrooms. Air conditioned guestrooms at Hotel Malaya feature minibars and coffee/tea makers. Dial up Internet access is available. Also included are hair dryers and irons/ironing boards. Guestrooms are all non smoking.

British Business in Post-Colonial Malaysia, 1957-70 $185 This book explores the limits of the idea of 'neo-colonialism' - the idea that in the period immediately after independence Malaya/Malaysia enjoyed only pseudo-independence, because of the dominant position of British business interests.

Buffaloes Over Singapore: RAF, Raaf, Rnzaf and Dutch Brester Fighters in Action Over Malaya and the East Indies 1941-1942 $37.41 The Brewster B-339 Buffalo received much criticism during its brief service with the RAF, some justified, some not. Some of the pilots who eventually flew it in combat were happy with their mounts, others hated it as an operational fighter. Rightly considered below par for service in the UK, the vast majority of the 170 aircraft acquired by the RAF Purchasing Commission from the United States was diverted for use in the Far East, where it was believed they would be superior to any Japanese aircraft encountered should hostilities break out there. This assessment was to prove tragically very incorrect. When war did erupt, the Japanese Army Air Force - with its highly maneuverable Ki-27 and Ki-43 fighters - and the Japanese Navy Air Force equipped with the mighty A6M Zero, proved vastly superior in just about all aspects, and many of the Japanese fighter pilots were veterans of the war against China. By contrast, the majority of the young British, New Zealand, and Australian pilots who flew the Buffalo on operations in Malaya and at Singapore were little more than trainees, and many flew into battle with only the basic training of their trade. Nonetheless, these fledgling fighter pilots achieved much greater success than could have been anticipated, although many paid with their lives. This is their story, complete with appendices and previously unpublished source material and photographs.

British Counterinsurgency: From Palestine to Northern Island $130 This title examines the insurgencies that have confronted the British State since the end of World War II, and at the methods used to fight them. It looks at the guerrilla campaigns in Palestine, Malaya, Kenya, Cyprus, South Yemen, Oman and, most recently, in Northern Ireland.

The Magic of Malaya $24.37 No Synopsis Available

University of Malaya $7.39 No Synopsis Available

Gardening in Malaya $34.38 No Synopsis Available

Malaya - Fullscreen B&W $24.99 Spencer Tracy and James Stewart team up for this World War II adventure, based on an supposedly true incident from World War II. Stewart plays John Royer, an ex-newspaper reporter with a backhand knowledge of Malaya, and Tracy plays a criminal named Carnaghan, doing time in Alcatraz for smuggling. They are brought together for an undercover assignment -- to smuggle a large shipment of rubber out of Japanese-held territory in Malaya and deliver the tonnage to awaiting U.S. ships. Carnaghan and Royer plod through the jungles and have to deal with several unscrupulous contacts including a man calling himself The Dutchman (Sydney Greenstreet), a helpful FBI agent named Kellar (John Hodiak), and a sneaky Japanese officer by the name of Colonel Tomura (Richard Loo). ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Malaya's Secret Police 1945-60 $74.9 The Malayan Emergency lasted from 1948 to 1960. During these tumultuous years, following so soon after the Japanese surrender at the end of the Second World War, the whole country was once more turned upside down and the lives of the people changed. The war against the Communist Party of Malaya’s determined efforts to overthrow the Malayan government involved the whole population in one form or another. Dr Comber analyses the pivotal role of the Malayan Police’s Special Branch, the government...

British Counterinsurgency: From Palestine to Northern Ireland $159.16 British Counterinsurgency examines the insurgencies that have confronted the British State since the end of the Second World War, and at the methods used to fight them. It looks at the guerrilla campaigns in Palestine, Malaya, Kenya, Cyprus, South Yemen, Oman, and most recently in Northern Ireland, and considers the reasons for British success or failure in suppressing them. It provides a hard-nosed account of the realities of counterinsurgency as practiced by the most experienced security establishment in the world today.

British and Japanese Military Leadership in the Far Eastern $188 Some 60 years after the Far Eastern War ended, this innovative collection brings together scholars from the UK and Japan to reappraise their respective countries' leadership in the Malaya and Burma campaigns.

Emerald Swallowtail Native to Myanmar, Malaya, Sumatra, and Philippines $39.99 George Grall Emerald Swallowtail Native to Myanmar, Malaya, Sumatra, and Philippines - Photographic Print

Acme on Malaya Morskaya $187.13 Acme on Malaya Morskaya > > Malaya Morskaya str., 7 > St Petersburg > > 191186>Location. This city center property is located in St. Petersburg, close to Russian Admiralty, Alexander Column, and Palace Square. Also nearby are State Hermitage Museum and Winter Palace and St. Isaac's Cathedral. Features. In addition to tour/ticket assistance and a concierge desk, Acme on Malaya Morskaya features laundry facilities and a video library. Business amenities include complimentary wireless Internet access, business services, and secretarial services. A Continental breakfast is complimentary to guests. Transportation services at this 3.0 star property include an airport shuttle (surcharge) available 24 hours and a train station pick up service. The staff can arrange dry cleaning/laundry services and translation services. Additional amenities include multilingual staff, coffee in the lobby, and complimentary newspapers in the lobby. The front desk is open 24 hours a day. This is a smoke free property (fines may apply for violations). Guestrooms. Amenities featured in guestrooms include air conditioning, coffee/tea makers, and free local calls. Business friendly amenities include complimentary wireless Internet access, desks, and direct dial phones. All guestrooms provide refrigerators. Bathrooms feature hair dryers, showers only, and slippers. All guestrooms at Acme on Malaya Morskaya are non smoking. Notifications:There are no room charges for children 2 years old and younger who occupy the same room as their parents or guardians, using existing bedding. Guests requiring a visa to enter Russia may be able to obtain help from the hotel where they will be staying. Guests should contact the hotel using the contact information on the booking confirmation. Hotels may charge for providing visa assistance even if guests subsequently cancel their reservation. All arrangements including any applicable charges are made directly between guests and the hotel. In addition, guests will also be liable for any applicable cancellation charges. Additional fees and deposits may be charged by the property at time of service, check in, or check out. >The preferred airport for Acme on Malaya Morskaya is St. Petersburg (LED Pulkovo) 15.5 km / 9.6 mi. Distances are calculated in a straight line from the property’s location to the point of interest or airport and may not reflect actual travel distance. Distances are displayed to the nearest 0. 1 mi

The Conduct of Anti-Terrorist Operations in Malaya $33.57 This is a hiqh quality reprint of the hihgly sought after 1958 (third) edition of the official manual issued by the Office of the Director of Operations, Federation of Malaya. Essential reading to all interested in how to achieve the widely acknowledged success of counterinsurgency operations during the Malaya Emergency of 1948 to 1960. PART ONE - General: CHAPTER 1 - Malaya. CHAPTER 2 - The CT-Origin and Development. CHAPTER 3 - Own Forces. CHAPTER 4 - The Emergency Regulations (ERs) and Methods of Searching. PART TWO - Operations: CHAPTER 5 - Platoon Organisation, Weapons and Equipment. CHAPTER 6 - The Jungle Base. CHAPTER 7 - Patrolling. CHAPTER 8 - Patrol Movement and Formation. CHAPTER 9 - Jungle Navigation. CHAPTER 10 - Immediate Action Drills. CHAPTER 11 - The Ambushing of CT. CHAPTER 12 - The Location and Attacking of CT in Camps and Cultivations. CHAPTER 13 - Movement by Road. CHAPTER 14 - Intelligence. CHAPTER 15 - Training for Operations. CHAPTER 16 - Wireless Communications in Malaya. CHAPTER 17 - Air Support in Malaya. CHAPTER 18 - Employment of The Royal Artillery in Anti-CT Operations. CHAPTER 19 - Handling of Aborigines by Security Forces. CHAPTER 20 - The Employment of Dogs on Operations and The Administration of War Dogs. CHAPTER 21 - Tracking. PART THREE - Administration. CHAPTER 22 - Operational Rations. Chapter 23 - First Aid and Preventive Medicine.