GEORGE TOWN, Oct 21 — Chris Ong may be more popularly known as the founder of George Town Heritage Hotels (GTHH) but a walk through any of his hotels and residences will reveal that he is also a passionate collector of all things Peranakan.
The fifth generation Baba has amassed a huge collection of antiques, whether it is porcelain or furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and listing it all out would have been an almost impossible task.
So, more than 18 months ago, Ong decided to document a large portion of his collection and turn it into a book.
“I want to have some sort of documentation on what is in my collection,” he said.
The 270-page hardcover coffee table book is not only a pictorial documentation of Ong’s collection but it also lets readers in on the stories behind the pieces.
Ong’s interest in his Peranakan heritage was sparked by the stories his late maternal grandmother, Ong Kooi Kee, used to tell him.
When he found out that a large number of Peranakan antiques from Penang are in Singapore museums, it became his mission to collect as many Peranakan artefacts as possible to keep them in Penang.
“Being a collector of Peranakan items isn’t just about acquiring objects, it’s about reconnecting with my heritage, with the memories and traditions of my upbringing,” he wrote in his book.
The Chris Ong Collection is not only a record of his extensive antique collection but is interspersed with stories of his grandmother and the links between the items and his heritage. — Picture by Opalyn Mok
He wrote about his desire to collect unique pieces, uncovering hidden gems while dealing with reproductions being passed off as authentic.
Ong also made it his mission to tell the stories and traditions behind the pieces in his collection, such as the Nyonya Kam Cheng that was often used for religious rites and during significant family milestones like birthdays and weddings.
His passion in telling the stories behind his collection of various porcelain items led to the birth of his annual exhibitions.
The themes of the exhibitions, usually held during the Penang Heritage Celebrations in July, are different each year.
One year he would showcase his extensive collection of tingkats and the next, it would be his collection of sweets trays.
It was his way of telling people about the rich traditions of the Straits Chinese heritage and keeping it alive.
Those exhibitions were just a glimpse into Ong’s extensive collection and anyone who had enjoyed the exhibitions will find that this book is a culmination of all the exhibitions held over the years and more.
In one of the chapters, he highlighted the festivewares of Khoo Joo Bee and Lim Kek Chuan.
Khoo Joo Bee was one of the Kapitan Cina Chung Thye Phin’s wives.
This is a 270-page book featuring Chris Ong’s porcelain and other antique collections. — Picture by Opalyn Mok
According to Ong, the collection of dinnerware with Khoo’s name emblazoned on the back of the fine China were probably commissioned for her wedding at the end of the 19th century.
As for Lim Kek Chuan, Ong believed the founder of Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce had commissioned a lot of mid-19th century china from the families’ rose cricket range.
Ong himself had accumulated 250 pieces of Lim’s suite of tableware from Penang and he believed these were only part of the full suite.
Aside from his porcelain collection, there is a section on his mother-of-pearl furniture, a section on items in a wedding chamber such as the wedding bed, day bed, confinement bed, cabinets and jewellery.
The journey through Ong’s collection ends with a feature of the magnificent intricate and gilded doors that used to front many heritage buildings in George Town.
As not many of these doors remained in its original houses, some worn down and thrown out, some sold off long before the Unesco recognition, Ong had also collected what he could find and his collection of doors can be seen in some of the GTHH hotels.
This book may have started as a record of Ong’s extensive antique collection but the personal stories interspersed within its pages gave readers a better understanding of the pieces in his collection.
These little snippets also gave readers a glimpse into what went on in the hotelier’s mind when he went in search of a particular item to add to his collection.
The book is available for sale in any of the GTHH hotels and restaurants in Penang.
Buyers may also order the book to be delivered to them via email [email protected].
