The Penang Museum and Art Gallery is a single complex considered one of the best museums in Malaysia. It was founded in 1821 and is housed in a building constructed ten years earlier. This beautiful colonial-style house had previously housed the first English public school in the east.
The extensive collection of exhibits tells the history of the island from the time of the sultanate to the Japanese genocide during World War II. The permanent exhibition includes photographs, maps, historical accounts, household and luxury items of the island's peoples.
Penang was until recently dominated by the Chinese population, influencing all aspects of island life. This is why so much space in the museum's halls is devoted to the emergence and activities of the Chinese clans on the island. It is interesting to look at opium beds decorated with carvings and mother-of-pearl, rich household items and clothes made of expensive fabrics. A separate episode of 1867, when the opium wars between Chinese clans erupted into street riots, is recreated. The British administration managed to cope with them only with the help of reinforcements sent from Singapore.
The expositions also show objects of everyday life and culture of the Malays, Hindus, adding to the overall picture of the island's history.
The museum presents national treasures of the country: a collection of famous porcelain Baba Nyonya, antique furniture, folk costumes and jewellery, oil paintings of landscapes of the island and the surrounding sea, old engravings, edged weapons. There is even a bust of Wilhelm II, the German Kaiser. It was found in one of the island's schools in a terrible condition. No one could explain how the bust, which dates back to the 19th century, got there. After restoration, it was added to the museum's exhibition.
A cast-iron statue of Penang Governor Francis Light, erected near the museum to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Penang's founding, is worthy of attention. The sculptor was modelled by his illegitimate son William Light, an English officer and future founder of Adelaide, South Australia.
The Art Gallery exhibits the work of local artists and is also a venue for themed exhibitions.
The Art Gallery is also a venue for themed exhibitions.
