Peranakan tiles can be little addictive – and a great excuse for various trips and excursions around town! While dodging mosquitos at Bukit Brown Cemetery and munching on waistline-widening prata in Little India could be called ‘fun’, you can now get your Peranakan tile ‘fix’ in downtown Singapore. 

Heritage tile collector, Victor Lim, recently opened his Peranakan tile gallery at Telok Ayer to showcase his range of antique and replica Majolica tiles.

Located at Thian Hock Keng, one of Singapore’s oldest Hokkien temples, the boutique carries antique and replica Majolica tiles popular with affluent Peranakans and others in Singapore during the late 20^th and early 21^st century. According to Victor, most tiles found locally were imported from Japan, with earlier types brought in from other countries including England and Belgium.

Victor’s passion for these tiles is evident in the beautiful presentation of over 800 restored tiles collected from demolished shophouses in the late ’70s. Victor also conducts tours as a volunteer guide at Bukit Brown Cemetery, where many graves are adorned with rare tiles from this era.

Over the past two years, I’ve discovered similar tiles on the graves of my Peranakan relatives at Bukit Brown Cemetery, on a shophouse formerly owned by my Hokkien great-grandfather, and at my ancestral clan temple on Cantonment Road. Due to this personal connection, I’m keen to learn more about the history, manufacturing, and trade route of these tiles.

I’m particularly keen to learn more about the production of tiles in Japan and explore the link between one of my favourite countries and my ancestors in Singapore! I found the INAX Tile Museum, which is dedicated to the general history of tiles and situated in Tokoname City near Nagoya, Japan. Tokoname has a long tradition of ceramics dating back to the 8^th century. 

In the meantime, I look forward to spending more time at Victor’s new shop, where the convenient location, heritage surroundings and cute café are sure to make lots of visitors happy. You’ll also find my new range of greeting cards available there!

And if you’re keen on creating some Peranakan tile art of your own, join my boutique art workshops – the June schedule is out now.

Peranakan Tile Gallery

168 Telok Ayer Street Singapore 068619 – next to Thian Hock Keng Temple

Operating Hours: open daily from 12pm to 5pm

Tel: +65 6684 8600

_{This post was first published on Jennifer Lim Art Blog and has been reposted on Executive Lifestyle with the permission of the author.
Edited by Nedda Chaplin
Image credit: Jennifer Lim}

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