Dedicated to cultivating an understanding of Singapore’s maritime and multicultural heritage within the broader context of the archaeological, historical, and art historical developments of Asia and the world, The Asian Civilizations Museum in the gorgeous colonial-era Empress Place Building is nestled beside the Singapore River. One of the highlights of ACM’s collection is the Tang Shipwreck cargo, which is emblematic of the Maritime Silk Route that connected China, Southeast Asia, and the Abbasid Caliphate (modern-day Iran and Iraq) as the 9th century. The ship, most likely of Middle-Eastern origin, sailed to China via India and Southeast Asia. On the way back, the Chinese cargo comprised over 70,000 ceramics as well as objects in gold, silver, and bronze, with some objects having decoration that shows they were tailored specifically for the Middle Eastern market. The story of the shipwreck demonstrates the complexity of early trade and cross-cultural interactions, showing that globalisation and interconnectivity are ancient phenomena.
A fascinating museum, one of the unique exhibitions was 'Let's Play - The Art and Design of Asian Games - dedicated to the history and evolution of games many of us are familiar with playing, and shows how much thought and creativity went into the beautiful creation of the games we, as a society, used to play, and still play today. It marries art and design, revealing how geography, history and culture have been delicately woven into game-making and playing.
Waking from Raffles Hotel along the Singapore River to the Asian Civilizations Museum,
we passed by the iconic Fullerton Hotel built in 1928
Boat going under the Anderson Bridge built in 1908
Affectionately known as the "durian", Esplanade Theatres on the Bay is Singapore's national performing arts centre on the scenic Singapore River
Built in 1869, The Cavenagh Bridge is the oldest bridge in Singapore and leads to the Asian Civilizations Museum
The bridge is named after William Orfeur Cavenagh, the last governor of the Straits Settlements
The Asian Civilizations Museum in the gorgeous colonial-era Empress Place Building is nestled overlooking the Singapore River
Storage jar salvaged from the Belitung wreck covered with shells and molluscs
Chinese Ceramic Jars from the wreck of an Arabian dhow that sank around 830 AD, near Belitung Island with a cargo of more than sixty thousand Tang dynasty ceramics
Lidded Stoneware Jar from Gongxian Kilns c. 830
Stoneware pitcher with feline-shaped handle with the spot shaped as a dragon's head, from Gongxian or Xian Kins, around 830
Bowl with crazy fish motif from China c.830
Sample of the Tang Dow with cargo of ceramics bowls c.830
Incense Burner with openwork decoration from Your Kilns in China c.830
One of the finest ceramics found in the Tang shipwreck, the incised motif with leafy fronds
is an Iranian ewer design which suggests the cargo was destined for the Gulf c.830
Mounted Porcelain Incense Burner with gilded bronze mounts, from Jingdezhen, China c.1700 with 18th-century Japanese red coral
Porcelain Imari Coffee Pot made from Arita, Japan in 17th-century with German gilded mount,shipped by the Dutch East India Company
Portable Opium Case with wood, silver, glass and lacquered bamboo and bone, from China or Vietnam in early 20th-century
Porcelain 'Pomegranate' blue and white Pitcher from China with distinctive star-shaped opening at the top which resembles the stem of a pomegranate c.1600
19th-century Medicine Jar (Juri-Juri) made of porcelain (Chinese), wood and rattan (Northern Sumatra)
19th-century Charm Jar with glass, cowrie shells, boar teeth and beads from Sarawak, a Malaysian state on Borneo
15th-century Stoneware Kneeling Javanese Jester from Vietnam
17th-century highly refined Sri Lankan Pipe Case made of ivory, mica, metal and wood
Detail of late 18th-century pair of doors from Gujarat in India made of Mother-of-pearl, wood and metal fittings
19th-century Grooms Necklace made of gold, lac and cotton thread necklace from Chettinad
Bright and colourful 20th-century Headdress from Northern Thailand made with ivory, beads, shell, job's tear seeds, rattan, wood and feathers, are worn by Akka women
19th-century tortoiseshell comb from Lesser Sunda Islands in Sumba, with depiction of animals reflecting important cosmological ideas
18th-century Indian Pachisi Set made with gemstones, crystal, ivory and silk, it's one of the oldest games originating in South Asia and often called the national game of India
Seated Liubo players with board and pieces made of earthenware, Han Dynasty in early 3rd century, and the earliest game found in China’s archaeological records
Folding 16th-century Indian Game Board made of Indian rosewood, ivory, and coloured mastic resin
ingeniously designed to play multiple games like chess and tric-trac, and transforms into a writing desk
Miniature 20th-century Indian Chapaur Board made of silk, gilt thread and metal sequins,
a popular Indian board game that was a favourite of the Mughal emperor Akbar
Early 19th-century Southern Chinese Game Table made of wood and covered in black lacquer and painted in gold
An ancient Ban-Sugoroku Set from 17th-century Edo period, Japan, very similar to modern backgammon, and made of Persimmon wood, lacquer, metal and bone
Indian painted cotton 'Gyan Chaupar' game from 1820, is the original form of 'Snakes and Ladders'
1863 woodblock print 'Hahakigi' by Utagawa Yoshiiku of a scene from Kabuki in which mother and son playing game of e-sugoroku
20th century Cherki Cards from Malaysia or Singapore, is a traditional Peranakan card game, often considered a "long-lost cousin" of mahjong
'Go' or 'Weiqi' woodblock printed manuscript by Hayashi Genbi, Japan, Edo Period 1880
Scene from 'The Tale of Genji' by Watanabe Hiroteru (1778-1838),
as a gold pigment on silk hanging scroll of game of GO
20th-century Japanese Go Board with containers and stones
18th-century Chinese Xianqi set and board made of Huanghuali wood and ivory
19th-century 'Ouk Chatrang' set made of ivory, cowrie shell, wood and mother-of-pearl, is a Cambodian chess variant that closely resembles Persian 'Shatranji'
Figural chess pieces from India depict elephants, bulls, horses, soldiers and even buildings
Painted ivory Indian chess piece of the British East India Company, from Rajasthan c.1850
18th-century Sri Lankan Chess Board Table made of wood and ivory
18th-century Sri Lankan chess pieces
Bird-shaped Congkak board made of wood and rubies from Malaysia made in 2016 by Abdul Rahman bin Yusoff
Carom board game designed by architect and product designer Priyanka Shah, based on an old Gujarati game, inspired from Patola saris,
and made of marble, sandstone and semi precious gems with a rosewood frame
At the frontier of innovation, as seen in the rise of artificial intelligence,
AI-powered robots that visitors can play against in chess and GO was a highlight of the exhibition
Singapore's iconic Rain Trees intertwine overhead, forming lush green tunnels
that offer protection from the hot sun and rain
The River Merchants near Cavenagh Bridge, by Aw Tee Hong features
Strait Traders and workers moving rice by oxen and cart
Boat Quay owes its unique charm and character to the warehouses and shophouses that line the Singapore River
Porcelain 'Pomegranate' blue and white Pitcher from China with distinctive star-shaped 
