Cultural and Intrinsic Value of Ornamental Tiles on the Facade of Traditional Straits Chinese Shophouses in Malaysia

Abstract

During the British colonial rule in Malaya (now Malaysia) in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the Straits Chinese or Peranakan, as they are locally referred to, rose to social prominence and enjoyed significant economic power with the financial ability to inter alia deck their homes with imported ornamental tiles, reflecting their taste and wealth. Nowadays, some of the ornamental tiles on the facade of Peranakan shophouses in Malacca have been lost either through apathy and neglect or sheer ignorance, despite the fact that Malacca and George Town were inscribed as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites on 7 July 2008. Much has been written and researched on the architecture of Straits Chinese shophouses in Malaysia without detailed study into the tiles of these houses. The specific focus of this study is the design characteristics of tiles on the facade of traditional Straits Chinese shophouses in Malacca in order to inculcate an appreciation of their origins and cultural and intrinsic values by conservation authorities, scholars and the general public. The iconography, characteristics and features of the selected samples of the tiles’ designs are analysed so as to understand the source of the motif designs used. The origins of the tiles are explored to determine the cultural influences, and relevant approaches are discussed in classifying the characteristics and features of the designs. Related literature on motifs and designs from the earliest records are reviewed to provide interpretive tools for cataloguing the designs of selected samples of the tiles. A digital camera and suitable softwares such as Adobe Photoshop, AutoCAD and Adobe Illustrator are the primary tools used in tracing motifs from the collections of tile samples to facilitate the process of analysis and to determine inherent influences. This research attempts to provide a community resource in Malaysia about ornamental tiles of Straits Chinese shophouses for both the national and historic merit. It will highlight the cultural and intrinsic value of the ornamental tiles which warrant urgent conservation attention as an integral part of the Peranakan heritage in Malaysia.