Peranakan Art and Palm Paper: Implications on Decorative Items Design

Abstract

The Peranakan is known as one of the most important but disappearing culture of Southeast Asia. The term of Peranakan derived from Malay language to describe descendants of Chinese father from China and local mother who have called the Straits Settlements their homes at the period of British colonial in Malaya. The Peranakan communities developed a unique culture determined by traditional Chinese religious practices. The Baba had established international trades with China and Europe countries which has contributed greatly to the economy. Working along with the British, they have expanded into local commercial plantations. The lucrative earnings were used in maintaining their lavish lifestyles and adoration of imported collections of decorative items. The Nyonya well respected for their crafts especially needle works with auspicious connotations of art elements which uniquely reflected the Qing dynasty, Malay and European styles. This research is aimed to preserve the Peranakan art with combination of palm paperใ The research method applied was mixed methods of quantitative, qualitative and process experiment. The quantitative research method was employed to determine the acceptance and perception of consumers with total of 399 samples from 10 locations across The Klang Valley. This followed by qualitative research methods of interviews were conducted on 6 designers and 6 experts to provide further support. With positive results, the final method of process experiment in design development was used to examine material suitability through crafting techniques. The researcher then employed the techniques into the development of decorative items using motifs and colours borrowed from the Peranakan arts. The crafted decorative items are the researcher's personal recollections of her Peranakan roots.

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