Exceptional/Everyday: New Acquisitions, New Perspectives

From conspicuous luxuries to everyday items, the things we own can reveal much about who we are. The Peranakans, as established residents of Southeast Asian port cities, have long commissioned and acquired a wide range of global goods. On occasion, they also made what they needed. The diversity of these objects reflects the complexities of port-city life, where objects were often combined in unconventional ways and adapted for new uses.

Exceptional/Everyday: New Acquisitions, New Perspectives spotlights treasures recently acquired by the Peranakan Museum, offering fresh perspectives on the rich ambiguity of Peranakan culture. While some objects might be quintessentially Peranakan, others are not. Spanning the public and private, bespoke and mass-produced, the objects invite close study, shedding light on shifting tastes and the creative ways Peranakan communities responded to a rapidly changing world.