Singapore Museum Collection C/S FDC

Singapore Collectors' Sheet FDC
Name: Peranakan Museum Collection
Date of Issue: 08 April 2008
Printing Process: Offset Lithography with an application of "caviar beads"

Located at the old Tao Nan School at 39 Armenian Street, the Peranakan Museum features the world’s first comprehensive display of the eclectic and colourful Peranakan culture. Drawing from the traditions of both China and Southeast Asia, the Peranakans are renowned for the beauty of their intricately crafted furniture, jewellery, embroidery, beadwork, textiles, garments and porcelain.

A National Heritage Board Museum managed by the Asian Civilisations Museum, the Peranakan Museum houses the best collection of Peranakan artifacts in the world. This set of stamps features some of the finest examples of Peranakan embroidery, beadwork and porcelain from the collection of the Peranakan Museum.

Characterised by elaborate design and a brilliant colour palette, Peranakan Chinese tastes tend towards the exuberant and eclectic. Pictured on these stamps are decorated objects associated with celebration days and special occasions for the community.

Exquisite beadwork is a distinctive aspect of Peranakan material culture. Reputed for their creativity, nonyas used brilliantly coloured miniscule glass beads to create intricate designs on anything from slippers to tobacco pouches.

Embroidered items were highly prized as embroidery was a rare skill among Peranakan Chinese women. Mastering this skill required an immense amount of time, which not everyone could afford. Some of the beautiful embroidered items were more than just decorative, such as the delightful embroidered kneepads young Peranakan brides-to-be would sew for their future husbands to use during their wedding. The kneepads cushioned the knees against the discomfort of kneeling repeatedly over the course of the customary 12 day Peranakan wedding.

The Peranakans are also well-known for their love of porcelain. Peranakan porcelain is decorated with a distinctively brilliant palette of enamel colours featuring pastel colours such as pink, blue and lime green as well as muted tones such as orange, olive green and brown. Motifs such as the phoenix and peony would often adorn chupus or kamchengs. Fine porcelainware were carefully looked after and used only special occasions.

Comment: This sheet is the world's first beaded stamp in which "caviar beads" are manually stuck onto the stamp.

Singapore Peranakan Museum Collection FDC
Singapore Peranakan Museum Collection Beaded Sheet FDC