Straits & Oriental Museum in Penang
Penang folks and tourists may frolic around the George Town area for some good hawker eats or cafe finds, but not many are aware of a treasure trove of a museum with a collection of ancient Chinese ceramics.
Fittingly nestled in a colonial shophouse, on an alleyway of Stewart Lane, the Straits & Oriental Museum is the first museum in Penang where you can find captivating displays of ancient ceramics and porcelain pieces from various dynasties and known shipwrecks in Asia.
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What is the Straits & Oriental Museum?
Straits & Oriental Museum was previously housed amidst contemporary retailers and chic dining outlets in Gurney Paragon Mall. It has since relocated to its new address at 20 Stewart Lane, an atmospheric alleyway exuding hallmarks of colonial-era architecture and charm.
The museum’s main gallery occupies two floors. They house impressive collections of pottery pieces from different periods of the Chinese dynasty, export ceramics destined for the overseas market, and a fascinating display of fragmented ceramics from shipwrecks.
How to get to the Straits & Oriental Museum?
Straits & Oriental Museum is near Penang’s iconic Temple of the Goddess of Mercy, between Stewart and Chulia Street. Public parking is available around the museum, with fees ranging from RM0.80/hour to RM6/day. Those opting for public transportation can hop on the Penang Rapid Bus routes 101, 201, 202, and 206 that will take you to Love Lane Station, the closest station that’s just a short walk along Chulia Street from the museum.
How much do tickets to the Straits & Oriental Museum cost?
Tickets are priced at RM25 per person and can be purchased online ahead of your visit on the Straits & Oriental Museum’s website. Entry is free for those who are 12 years old and below. Each ticket includes a guided tour and a complimentary drink at the museum’s cafe.
What can I see at the Straits & Oriental Museum?
Displays of Chinese ceramics with varied glazes & styles
Enter the quiet sanctuary of the museum, and you’ll find an exquisite display of Chinese ceramics with varied glazes and styles unique to their period and geography.
The spectacular array of primitive pieces here shows the evolution of ceramics to porcelain, as well as the flowering progression of artistic finesse and craftsmanship evident in the execution of the pieces that quickly made porcelain treasured pieces worldwide.
Carved Longquan Celadon Peony Vase from the Ming Dynasty
Among the ceramics featured here are a few of the earliest forms of ceramic ware, including unadorned Cizhou jars and monochrome ceramics in a rich variety of dazzling colours – deep amber, green, and cobalt blue.
From left: Example of a monochrome ceramic (amber-coloured) from the Tang Dynasty, green glazed vase incised with dragons during the Jiaqing period from the Qing Dynasty.
These were eventually replaced during the reign of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, with more intricate blue-and-white painted china porcelains, auspicious iron-red porcelains, elaborate Famille Rose – or Fencai – polychrome ones, and Dayazhai porcelain, which is an overglaze enamel painted against light green, specially made for Empress Dowager Cixi.
Exported ceramics & Straits Chinese porcelain
The glass displays further in the exhibit hold a remarkable collection of export ceramics. These showcase the vast demand for Chinese porcelain in the international trading vessels and their undeniable monopoly over the ceramic market.
Here, you’ll also find the Kraak porcelain, a blue-and-white earthenware dish with borders of wide and narrow radiating panels, and the Canton porcelain that melds elements of Western designs with Chinese artwork in its paintings, both of which were in high demand in the West.
Straits Chinese Blue and White Porcelain
Another range of ceramics displayed here is the Straits Chinese porcelain, which were especially popular amongst the Peranakan Chinese – or Baba Nyonya – community in Penang, Melaka, and Singapore.
These tableware and furniture exude an air of elegance, some resplendently-hued and some with the recognizable striking blue and white designs that are so ubiquitous in Peranakan households till this day.
Shipwrecked ceramics
The featured salvaged shipwrecked ceramics at the museum will likely intrigue visitors the most. These objects have been recovered from the depths of the sea, highlighting the significance of maritime porcelain trade and the relationship between the countries involved.
An orderly display of large round dishes that are cracked, jagged around their rims, and speckled with sea barnacles is Thai kilns – known as Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai – that were found on excavated shipwrecks.
There is also an abundance of fractured pieces from the Wanli shipwreck displayed, of what used to be the Ming porcelain cargo that suffered an explosion. Many other pieces displayed were salvaged from shipwrecks that occurred in Malaysian waters, including the Turiang, Nanyang, Royal Nanhai, Xuande, and Desaru.
Fine art gallery & seasonal exhibitions
When you’ve been awed enough by the exquisite ceramics and porcelains in the Straits & Oriental Museum, head up to the second level – the heritage tour isn’t over just yet.
The space on the second floor is called the Ming Art Gallery, where a thought-provoking array of artworks by local artists is showcased from time to time, and occasionally, seasonal exhibitions.
During our visit, this dedicated space upstairs was transformed into an extension of the Straits & Oriental Museum itself, with hand-painted portraits and artworks that narrate the maritime history of Penang and Malaysia.
When you’re done with your tour of the museum, don’t throw the ticket you purchased into the trash just yet. Stick around for some warm tea as you chat with the helpful staff there – nothing like a nice warm drink after some cultural and historical education.
Visit the Straits & Oriental Museum in Penang
Pottery nerd or not, it is riveting to see and learn about the origins, history, and intricacies in the craftsmanship of transforming ordinary clay to gorgeous, prized objects all over the world. So while you have some time to spare when you’re in the George Town area for some cafe-hopping, spare a sliver of your time to explore captivating Chinese porcelain in this museum.
Address: 20, Stewart Lane, 10200 George Town, Penang
Opening hours: 10am-6pm, Daily
Contact: 012-208 0566 | Straits & Oriental Museum website | Facebook
Read more interesting features of places here:
- Penang History Gallery, a new museum in Penang
- Pinang Peranakan Mansion, a house museum filled with Peranakan antiques in Penang
- 16 museums & galleries in KL to visit
Cover image adapted from TheSmartLocal Malaysia
Photography by Jia-Ju.
This article was first published on 4th January 2025, and was last updated on 7th May 2025.