Author: Ho Wing Meng

Publisher/Date: Times Editions, 1994, ISBN 9812325395

Format/Condition: NEW hardcover book with dust jacket, 188 pages

Description: Straits Chinese furniture is a fusion of Chinese Qing dynasty ornateness and early 19th-century English dignity and decorum. It developed its own style and uses in the Straits Settlements of Singapore, Malacca, and Penang, and unlike other artifacts of the period, is still in active use today, carefully restored by craftsmen and taking pride of place in many modern homes. Settling along the major trade route that opened up between China and the Indian Ocean along the Malacca Strait, the so-called Straits Chinese or Peranakan brought much of their Chinese culture with them, yet also took on much of the local culture from Malaysia, Indonesia, and other peoples of Southeast Asia. This series of books looks at their unique blend of cultures through captioned color photographs, archival images, and a detailed text.