Arts Picks: Song and Yuan dynasty pottery, a Wallace walk and Fat Kids Are Harder To Kidnap
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Kaleidoscope In Clay exhibition (II): Life In Ceramics During The Song And Yuan Dynasties
Fans of pottery will want to make a beeline for this exhibition tucked into the third floor of Fort Canning Centre. Organised by the Society For Chinese Ceramics Studies, the show brings together some stellar examples of ceramics made during the Song and Yuan dynasties.
Most laymen will know that China is famed for blue and white porcelain and celadon. But there are also other wares such as sancai (literally translated as three colours) pottery and black glazed Cizhou ware.
There are some charming examples of sancai in this show, including a pretty green ewer incised with a flower which looks like a fat little teapot and a pillow decorated with flowers. One standout black-glazed meiping (vase) is carved with whorls and stripes which echo similarly etched Grecian urns.
The show is loosely organised into three categories. Tea And Wine focuses on ceramic tea and wine vessels that were in high demand as tea- and wine-drinking cultures took off in the Song Dynasty. In the Scholar’s Studio are examples of dainty decorative ceramic ware and practical items which took pride of place on a scholar’s table or study. These include ceramic writing accessories such as inkstones and brush stands. The Household section is dedicated to more practical ceramics for home use.
While there are wall texts setting the show and the various sections in context, the individual captions for the artefacts are limited to the bare basics. This is a pity because the pieces on display are of superb quality and evidently collected with love and appreciation. It would have been nice to learn more about ceramic production techniques as well as the evolution of pottery and cultures, given the obvious sophistication of the consumers who bought such items.
There has also been some effort at display, as can be seen from the scholar’s study display, which adds a calligraphy backdrop to a table decorated with items including jade objets d’art and a pipa-shaped ink stone.
Hopefully, the quality and range of items on display will spark visitors’ curiosity and inspire them to further investigate the world of Chinese ceramics.
A black-glazed meiping, Cizhou ware from the Song Dynasty.
PHOTO: ONG SOR FERN
Where: Fort Canning Centre, 5 Cox Terrace
When: Till Nov 30, 10am to 6pm daily, closed on the last Monday of the month
MRT: Fort Canning
Admission: Free
Info:
A walk through the Civic District
A walk through the Civic District organised by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.
PHOTO: LEE KONG CHIAN NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace was Charles Darwin’s peer and competitor who also developed a theory of evolution. His research was informed by his trips to South-east Asia, including Singapore, which he visited four times in the mid-1800s.
The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) has put together a walk through the Civic District which highlights some of the places Wallace visited – including the hotel where he might have stayed – as well as his theories about the region’s natural history.
This walk is almost sold out, but there will be another walk on Sept 23 also at the promotional price of $20.
PHOTO: LEE KONG CHIAN NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
The hour-long walk on Saturday morning will take approximately 1½ hours and is being offered at a discounted price of $20 (usual price: $35) to celebrate Singapore’s National Day. This walk is almost sold out, but there will be another walk on Sept 23 also at the promotional price of $20. The price includes the guided tour as well as a copy of the museum’s book, Two Wallace Lines.
The museum is planning for these walks to be a quarterly affair, so look out for more information on their website.
Where: Raffles Place str.sg/i5h8
When: Saturday and Sept 23, 10am
MRT: Raffles Place
Admission: $20 before GST
Info:
Fat Kids Are Harder To Kidnap
How Drama returns with another staging of Fat Kids Are Harder To Kidnap.
PHOTO: POH YU KHING
How Drama’s crazy skit anthology is turning into a comic theatre franchise to rival Chestnuts. It is now into its 15th year.
Fans will know what to expect from co-writers Jeremy Au Yong and Melissa Sim, who spin ripped-from-the-headlines topics into comedy gold in 31 short skits in one manic, frenetic hour.
Audiences get to choose the order of the skits, which means go prepared to holler on top of laughing your head off. This year, the team will tackle topics such as the difficulties of renting a black-and-white bungalow and the wonders of ChatGPT.
Where: Ngee Ann Kongsi Theatre, Wild Rice @ Funan, Level 4, 107 North Bridge Road www.howdrama.com
When: Aug 24, 7.30pm; Aug 25 to 27, 3 and 7.30pm
MRT: City Hall
Admission: $35
Info:
