southeast asia
galleries 3, 4 & 4a

The three Southeast Asia galleries cover over 2,500 years of history, and cultures as diverse as the Hmong of northern Thailand and the classical Javanese of Indonesia. The main gallery (Gallery 3) begins with a collection of bronze and ceramic pieces dating back to 600 BCE - evidence of trade and commerce in early Southeast Asia. A highlight is the magnificent Pejeng style drum. Made from bronze and cast in several sections, this drum is decorated with stylised flowers and saw teeth, as well as pairs of faces with bulging eyes between the drum's handles. This piece is a testament to the technological achievements of early Southeast Asians.

Southeast Asia was, and continues to be, a central point of world trade. Trade has brought not only commodities and technology, but also a multitude of new ideas and beliefs to the region. Imported religious beliefs such as Hinduism and Buddhism took root in Southeast Asia and existed alongside local animist beliefs. Later, Islam and more recently Christianity also entered Southeast Asia. To the left of the gallery entrance a symbolic stone entrance to a Cambodian Khmer temple stands in front of a projection of the sun playing across the soaring roof of a shrine. Below this you will find a collection of ritual objects associated with Southeast Asia's Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms.

The region's trading and agricultural rhythms have long been dictated by the monsoons. The importance of the rainy season, and the fertility it brings in the form of the rice crop are a connecting theme in the middle of the gallery. Beyond that, past the Javanese Kingdoms, lie the Malay world and the hill and island tribes. Wealthy centres of Islamic thought sprang up as a result of the trade in spices and exotic forest products, and many objects belonging to the world of the sultans can be found here.

Many Southeast Asian tribes were isolated from the trade routes, and so their cultures were relatively untouched. The hornbill is revered as the chief of birds by the Dayaks of Borneo, and they believe that it can aid them in their battles against neighbouring tribes. Objects from the Batak, Nias and other peoples are on display. Today, as the world shrinks, these Southeast Asian peoples are engaged in an ever more intense battle to preserve their culture and identity.

The Mary and Philbert Chin Gallery (Gallery 4) showcases the diversity of jewellery and textiles across island Southeast Asia. Since metalworking and weaving are seen as acts of creation, not merely craft, these activities were often segregated, with men metalworking and women weaving. The objects on display show the enormous range of designs, shapes and motifs that were used across Southeast Asia.

Upstairs, in Gallery 4a, the world of Southeast Asian performing arts is on show. The centrepiece, a Javanese gamelan orchestra, is surrounded by masks and puppets from Cambodia to Indonesia, while a life-size audiovisual of dancers and musicians brings the art of performance into the museum.