Description of the attraction
Penang Museum and Art Gallery is a single complex, considered one of the best museums in Malaysia. It was founded in 1821 and is housed in a building that was built ten years earlier. This beautiful colonial-style house was formerly the first English public school in the east.
The extensive collection of artifacts tells the story of the island from the time of the sultanate to the Japanese genocide during World War II. The permanent exhibition includes photographs, maps, historical accounts, household items and luxuries of the peoples of the island.
Until recently, Penang was dominated by the Chinese population, influencing all aspects of the island's life. Therefore, in the halls of the museum, so much space is devoted to the appearance and activities of the Chinese clans on the island. It is interesting to look at the opium beds, carved and decorated with mother-of-pearl, rich household items and clothes made of expensive fabrics. The episode of 1867, when the opium wars between the Chinese clans turned into street riots, is separately recreated. The British administration managed to deal with them only with the help of reinforcements sent from Singapore.
The expositions also include household and cultural items of Malays and Hindus, complementing the general picture of the history of the island.
The museum displays the country's national treasures: a collection of the famous Baba Nyonya porcelain, antique furniture, folk costumes and jewelry, oil-painted landscapes of the island and the surrounding sea, ancient engravings, edged weapons. The exhibition even features a bust of Wilhelm II, the German Kaiser. It was found in a terrible state in one of the schools on the island. No one could explain how the 19th century bust got there. After restoration, he replenished the museum's exhibition.
It is worth paying attention to the cast-iron statue of the Governor of Penang, Francis Light, installed next to the museum in honor of the 150th anniversary of the founding of Penang. The sculptor was posed by his illegitimate son William Light, an English officer, the future founder of Adelaide (South Australia).
The art gallery exhibits the work of local artists and also hosts thematic exhibitions.
