So we discovered that the British Museum in London was showcasing some of the oldest exhibits and artefacts from all over the world (hence, the titular name “Treasures of the World”) at the oldest museum in Singapore, the National Museum (how apt)!
The National Museum has been opened since 1849, and its current residence lay at Stamford Road, near the Singapore Management University (SMU) campus. Its magnificent Renaissance style architecture, reminiscent of many buildings erected during the British colonial era, continues to attract local and foreign visitors, keen to explore the history of Singapore. Check out our trip (together with our friend Jeanne) to the National Museum below!
Three is better than one!
Sandra with a new Polaroid Spectra! You can scroll down to the bottom of this entry for our latest captures!The dome of the Museum contains 3,000 individual pieces of stained glass; imagine the amount of effort went into cleaning them during the restoration in 2004!“Wait what’s this…?”Excited museum patrons!The ceiling of the renovated building of the National Museum, featuring air vents (and Damian’s favourite photo eh heh).
The “Treasures of the World” exhibition features relics from all over the world (Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia)! In order not to ‘spoil’ the exhibition for those who may be keen to go, we chose a few exhibits that represents the different continents and cultures featured. Obviously, no flash photography is allowed (so you will have to make do with high ISO setting)!
Africa: In Egypt, the sarcophagus was the common burial coffin for royalties, and it is said the more intricately designed the sarcophagus was, the more wealthier the deceased was! At the bottom left, canopic jars housing the organs of the deceased (which were considered least vital for the afterlife, clearly!)Damian engaging in shading to bring forth the stencil (of animals); he sure looks like he’s having fun!Sandra and Jeanne joining on the action too!Clearly anyone can have fun here; this activity appeals to families to enjoy their visit to the exhibition!North America: A huge ‘welcome figure’ to… welcome new visitors! Hailing from the Aboriginal tribes in Canada, this overwhelming statute represented the power and status of the tribe leaders.South America: Various relics on display!Damian looking on quite keenly… (Sandra’s favourite shot for obvious reasons eh heh)Europe: A bust of the Roman Emperor Hadrian; we loved the low lighting against the black backdrop, creating this eerily dim reflection of the bust.Europe: A ‘naughty’ statute of a satyr and a nymph (obsolete words in a Singaporean’s dictionary!)Middle East: A steel helmet fit for a king; the helmet is also embossed with gold and silver.Other family-oriented activities includes this station where individuals can closely examine rare stones and gems from all over the world!East Asia, China: A well-decorated porcelain dish, which I believe many Chinese Singaporeans are familiar with!South Asia, India: Lion balustrades that appear to stand guard like guardians over their subjects!Here, the exhibits on display came from Australasia (Australia, New Zealand and islands in the Pacific Ocean).Australasia: This intricately-carved paddle caught Damian’s eye; its acute level of detail is highly admirable!The various artefacts are housed in different sections of the exhibition, as shown above!Three happy folks outside the National Museum! Although we did not explore the entire National Museum, rest assured we will dedicate another entry in the near future!Obviously, we could not forget our pre-lunch selfie. Thanks to Jeanne for introducing to us this lovely establishment at SMU!
Finally, we introduce our newest addition to our catalogue of cameras: the Polaroid Spectra! We were impressed by its aesthetics and functionality, which was really impressive. Needless to say, we will be taking more Polaroids with the Spectra soon, and a review should be heading your way in the near future! In the meantime, check out our snapshots below:
Damian posing outside the National Museum! The first thing you would have noticed is that it is not the square-format of most Polaroids; in fact, this measures 4.0″ x 4.1″, and clearly landscape shots will look much better!Capturing the dome of the National Museum; we were also impressed that given the low lighting, the Polaroid Spectra captured the dome quite well (although it was not very symmetrical heh).Flowers taken outside the National Museum; here, we were testing the manual focus of the Polaroid Spectra, ended up not focusing on the flowers but on the road (we will figure it out as we take more shots!)
The “Treasures of the World” exhibition will be at the National Museum until the end of May 2016. Entry to the National Museum is free for all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents, but entry to the British Museum exhibits will cost S$14 for adults (good news: free for students, including Damian :D). Check out their website for more information!
Damian with Sandra 
2 thoughts on ““Treasures of the World” at the National Museum”