Over the past 30 years, museums around the world have increasingly recognised the importance of understanding and engaging the communities they represent. Public accountability and sustainability are motivating factors for this, but fundamentally it is the recognition that museums are essential for the well-being of society, which has strengthened these relations. In the age of globalisation, museum - community partnerships are even more imperative. This book addresses how Southeast Asian museums strategise and manage such partnerships in an increasingly globalised world. It comprises case studies from both public and private museums in the ASEAN region, which were presented at a symposium at the Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore in 2009. The strategies are wide- ranging and include national policy-making as well as projects undertaken by regional and other museums. As such this book provides valuable insights for museum professionals and anyone interested in the state of museums and their communities, particularly in the context of Southeast Asia today.

Known in ancient times as the ‘Island of Gold’, Sumatra was an early point of arrival for trade, new religions and ideas in Southeast Asia. Gold and natural resources made it a land of wealthy chiefs and princes and home to the powerful Srivijaya kingdom (7th to the 13th century).

These cross-cultural exchanges have created the unique and diverse Sumatra of today, known also for its natural attractions like Lake Toba. Discover Sumatra’s forgotten histories and unexpected richness through some 300 exhibits from the collections of the National Museum of Indonesia, the Museum Volkenkunde (National Museum of Ethnology), Leiden, the Asian Civilisations Museum and private collections in Sumatra: Isle of Gold. Look out for famous royal heirlooms such as the gold crown worn by the Sultan of Siak, treasures recovered from shipwrecks and ancient 2,500 year-old Bronze Age artefacts.

This book provides insight into the Ramayana traditions in Asia at a glance. It will appeal to those interested in Ramayana studies, Asian literature, art and cultural history and contemporary culture in Asia. The essays are clearly written and illustrated in full colour. Accompanied by list of books for further reading, index and endnotes, these essays are accessible and beautifully reproduced.

This richly illustrated volume, Ramayana in Focus captures the fascinating adaptation of the story in different Asian cultures. The twenty essays from reputed international scholars on Ramayana cover a wide range of topics on literary, visual, performing and contemporary arts: Ramayana in Sanskrit Hindu culture, in Chinese and Japanese literature and arts; the royal murals of Phnom Penh and Bangkok; the delicate carvings on Javanese and Khmer temples; embroidered shawls from Bengal; traditional Indian paintings from Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh; the performing traditions of Wayang Kulit Siam in Malaysia, Sundanese Wayang Golek and Balinese Wayang Wong and Cak dance; interpretation of the Ramayana in Java and Indian dances in the early to mid 20th century; Ramayana in contemporary Indian advertisements, films and television serials and contemporary Indonesian films and politics. The book also has a special focus on characters in the story—Prince Rama and his foe, Ravana; key female characters such as Princess Sita, queens of King Dasharatha and demons Tataka and Shurpanakha.

In the past, many Asian countries interacted with each other through peaceful means via religion, trade and political missions. Many Chinese pilgrims went to India for Buddhist studies while Indian monks went to China to disseminate the faith. The footprints of Buddhist pilgrims can be seen over the Silk Road all along Central, northwest India as well as the Southeast Asia. Traversing India to modern Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Tibet, China, Korea and Japan, Java, Sumatra, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos - Buddhism not only affected the lives and cultures in those regions but also left us with a legacy in the arts and literature. This book highlights some of the significant landmarks in Buddhist history, through the travel records of the monks Faxian, Xuanzang, Yijing and the spread of Buddhism at centres of higher learning such as Nalanda in eastern India which was visited by many students from all over the Asian world. The book illustrates a display of Buddhist art and artefacts borrowed from museums in India and Southeast Asia and includes some objects from the ACM’s own collection.

This collection focuses on one of Asia’s fastest growing economies – Vietnam - from its mythical origins to the rising economic power it has become today. Readers will be able to explore Vietnam's unique cultural identity, as seen in the diverse material cultures that developed over the past 2,500 years. This rich legacy is the result of different cultural influences, which were absorbed and adapted. The advanced bronze technology of the Dong Son culture of northern Vietnam some 2,500 years ago, shared similarities with Chinese traditions and was also exported to other parts of Southeast Asia. The Viet culture of the northern Red River region, was heavily influenced by China during the first 1,000 years of the common era, when the region was under Chinese rule. In central Vietnam, the Hindu Buddhist kingdom of Champa left an important legacy of temples and sculpture, inspired by Indian traditions. In the highlands and other remote areas, tribal communities involved in cross-border trade also engaged in the process of cross-cultural adaptation.

This book showcases important pieces from national museums around Vietnam, including archaeological materials, sculpture, textiles and ethnographic objects.

Price: S$35.00

The South Asia collection of the Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore, is the most comprehensive in Southeast Asia. Begun in 1993 at the same time as the establishment of the Museum, the collection has grown steadily and is now over 250-object strong. Government grants, loans, donations from comitted supporters and a dynamic team made it possible. Although the collections’s primary focus is south India because of its historical and cultural links with Singapore, it covers various regions and periods of South Asian history.

The art of snuff bottle has its origins in the introduction of tobacco snuff to the Imperial Court of the Manchus (Qing Dynasty 1642-1911). Powdered snuff was regarded as having medicinal qualities and with Court patronage, rapidly grew in popularity. Ornate snuff bottles, styled after medicine containers were created by Chinese crafts men from a vast array of materials: porcelain, enamel, metal, wood, jadeite, ivory, glass and others, using techniques and technologies only known in China at the time. Snuff bottles are elaborately decorated, invariably miniature and admired for their tactile qualities. The surviving examples are highly prized by collectors and students of the history of arts and crafts of China. This new book and catalogue showcases in depth the style, history and significance of rare and beautiful bottles from 17th Century until the end of Imperial China and beyond. The author, creator of a world class collection from only the best sources, provides new insights into the sumptuous world of an art form attracting increased interest worldwide and provides specialists and the lay reader with a major new reference source for the Chinese snuff bottle community.

Price: S$295.00

The word ‘Peranakan’ is derived from the Malay language and means ‘local born’. The term has since been used most commonly to refer to a distinctive community in Southeast Asia. An inimitable blend of Malay, Chinese and European influences, the Peranakan Chinese culture has transcended the mere sum of its parts and has evolved into one that is truly unique. This is a compendium of more than 100 succinct entries encompassing both the tangible and intangible heritage of the culture of the Straits born Chinese.

This new book featuring highlights from Singapore’s new Peranakan Museum (scheduled to open in 2008) will include rarely seen pieces from eminent private collectors. The reader will discover cultural treasures from the world of the Peranakans - exquisite textile arts of beadwork and embroidery; vibranthued commissioned porcelain; volumes of Chinese classics translated into the Baba Malay patois and the regal furnishings that graced their distinctively designedhomes. This comprehensive guide will offer an indispensable companion for cultural enthusiasts seeking an accessible introduction to one of Southeast Asia’s colourful and living cultures.

Price: S$24.27

The Asian Civilisations Museum was founded to cultivate awareness of the rich heritage of the ancestral cultures of Singapore, located as it is at the crossroads of Asia. The Museum’s wide ranging collections include Islamic, South Asian and Chinese artifacts as well as those from the surrounding Southeast Asia region.

This bestselling and updated A-Z guide includes the highlights of the Museum’s collection from some 5,000 years of history in Asia, in a wide range of cultural categories including fine art, ethnography, archaeology, as well as the living traditions of the arts and culture of Asia. Concise descriptions and interpretations of the museum’s permanent collection are shown together with chronological tables, a glossary and a bibliography of important references. This A-Z Guide presents a clear and accessible introduction to Asian culture as well as a guide to one of the most exciting new museum collections in Asia.

Price: S$35.00

The weaving of textiles is an activity that is found in most societies but the domestication of the silkworm and the reeling of the worm’s filament were undoubtedly of Chinese origin and represents one of the oldest discoveries in the science of textiles. The evolution of the Chinese wardrobe especially the wearing of silk is associated with the definition of rank and social status in early Chinese society.

Drawing on the private collection of Chinese textiles from Chris Hall, resident of Hong Kong this publication held in conjunction with an exhibition of the same name, showcases the aesthetic sensibilities and sartorial tastes of Chinese fashion across the centuries. This lavishly illustrated book includes contributions from experts in the history of silk in China, discussion of symbols and motifs in textiles, insights into Imperial Court textiles and Buddhist dress as well as a considerations on the preservation of textile collections.

Price: S$66.00