ancient Lamps - Nyonya - The Phoenix and the Peony

Peranakan, Baba-Nyonya and Straits Chinese are all names used for the descendants of early Chinese traders, mostly from the Fukien province of China, who can trace their migration to the 14th century.

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Southern Malaya, Malacca, Penang and Singapore Peranakan, all translate from Malay as descendant, Babas referring to male descendants and Nyonya to female descendants.

Historically, the Malay Peninsula was divided into small kingdoms, or Sultanates and it is to the kingdom of Malacca that we must look to find the origin of the Nyonya Chinese communities.

Retracing our steps to the 15th century, we find ourselves in the Imperial court of the Ming dynasty's Yongle Emperor who appointed Zheng He to lead a vast navel fleet of 317 ships with a crew of 28.000! Zheng was a monumental explorer, mariner, diplomat and admiral of the Chinese fleet and is still revered in contemporary China.

Between 1405 and 1433, admiral Zheng had led seven naval expeditions, visiting ports as far apart as Arabia, India, East Africa and ports through out South East Asia with the Imperial instructions to invent a Chinese proximity across the region and invent trade links.

From official Chinese records, we know that in the year 1411, Parameswara, the King of Malacca and a retinue of 540 officials travelled to the Chinese Imperial court to pay homage to the Yongle Emperor.

Malacca became a protectorate of the Emperor which saw the rapid development of the Malaccan kingdom, its geographical position ensuring its development into a major trade crossroad between China and India, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Malacca became an important trade port and soon evolved into a very rich state.

With the sizable volume of trade and traffic between China and the Malacca Straits, shifts in population became certain and many from the south of China became permanent citizens of Southern Malaya, however, the descendants of these 15th century Chinese immigrants, the Nyonya, have a much more romantic story of their origin.

According to customary accounts, in 1459, the Emperor of China sent a Chinese princess, Hang Li Po, to marry the Sultan, Mansur Shah of Malacca, in recognition of their political relationship.

Tradition has it, that the princess was accompanied by an entourage of 500 servants, maids and officials and it is from this courtly retinue that the Nyonya communities descended.

These conservative Chinese communities, now remote from China, were to evolve into a unique society over the ensuing centuries. Known in Malay as Peranakan, meaning, descendants, they held fast to their ethnic and religious traditions, which was ancestor worship, but adopted the language and much of the culture of the Malays.

Historically, these Malay Straits kingdoms, so important to trade, were effectively occupied and colonised over a period of 400 years, first by the Portuguese, then the Dutch and finally, the British, who established the contemporary state of Singapore in 1819.

Throughout the period of British colonisation, the Nyonya communities did well, being favored by the British management for their menagerial skills and their loyalty to the British crown. The British management advocated free trade, with all former trade restrictions and heavy tariffs being lifted, resulting in the economies of the Malay Peninsula and Singapore surging! This turn in course provided unlimited trading opportunities for the Nyonya communities to prosper.

This new wealth provided communities to add to their unique customs and traditions with some very definite tastes and styles. Already established with a unique cuisine, costume, architecture, language, song and dance, but, paramount amongst these is the paramount Nyonya porcelain, the earliest, being produced in the first years of the 19th century.

Nyonya ware, Peranakan Chinese pottery and Straits Chinese pottery are all terms used to spin the distinctive, brightly coloured porcelains commissioned for the exclusive use of the Straits Chinese communities.

Nyonya pottery is entirely different, with no reference to any other class of Chinese pottery produced. It is noteworthy by a relatively small range of robust colours and a preference for a paramount decoration, the phoenix and the peony.

The Nyonya pottery lamp shown, illustrates this paramount adornment with its distinctive use of fascinating pink and green enamels, decorated with the customary phoenix and peony flowers.

The Nyonya had held fast to their ethnic Chinese customs and maintained many Chinese traditions, such as celebrating the Lunar New Year and the light Festival, plus, adopting many of the customs of the land in which they had settled.

By the early 19th century the Nyonya Chinese merchants began the institution of commissioning large pottery services to be made at the great ceramic centre of Jingdezhen in South Eastern China.

These institution orders were made for the exclusive use of the Straits Chinese communities, with their customary fascinating colours, designs and customary shapes.

These services were specifically reserved for important festive occasions, such as weddings, birthdays and anniversaries with the majority of the pieces decorated with the phœnix and the peony on the small range of vivid colours, pea green, rose pink and the less often found yellow and coral red.

In Chinese art, both formal and informal, the phœnix symbolises the Empress and by extension, female. It also symbolises virtue, duty, alignment, compassion, and loyalty.

The peony, known as "The Queen of Flowers", symbolises summer, love and affection. It also indicates a hope for greater advancement and is also a synonym for nobility and gracefulness.

On the opening of a wedding, it was the bride who was presented with a full service of Nyonya ware and it is considered that this attractive style was developed, being that the very symbolic motifs are exclusively female. The phœnix was also sometimes depicted with a flaming pearl, symbolizing an auspicious bridal union.

Vase shapes were also produced to be placed on the house altar, not for flower arrangements as practiced in the West. The Nyonya religious institution was Taoist and vases were considered as altar furniture, flowers only being placed in these vases for religious purposes.

Since independence from Britain, the Straits Chinese, Nyonya ethnic group have largely assimilated into the mainstream Chinese society and as a result, the contemporary changes have led to the virtual disappearance of the distinctive Nyonya culture. The porcelains made especially for this collective group have only in recent years been recognised for their true value as links to this fast fading unique culture. Peranakan Chinese culture is today carried on by several cultural associations who enunciate performing arts groups.

Interior lighting is an important aspect of our way of life and we have fullness of options to select from. Usually, it is our personalities that dictate the choices we make and the option of lighting is no exception.

Antique lamps, however, are an irregularity to the rule, contribution a wide range of lamps to all personality types. Elegant lamps to the classically interior minded, ethnic lamps to the eclectic interior minded and surprisingly, aged table lamps to the contemporary interior minded. Lamps, aged and vintage are perfectly at home, even in the most contemporary interior, contribution attractive and practical lighting solutions for all interior styles.

ancient Lamps - Nyonya - The Phoenix and the Peony
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Learn About ancient Art Deco Lamps

Every home should have at least one antique Art Deco Lamp. They have a unique style and beauty, and add an climate of elegance and warmth to any room.

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The Art Deco style is founded in cubism, and based on mathematical geometric shapes. Some of the century's great designers and artists produced work based on this style, in items such as paintings, furniture, jewelery, advertising, textiles, architecture, and many others. The Chrysler construction in New York City is thought about a masterpiece of Art Deco (once the tallest construction in the world before the Empire State construction was built), as well as the auditorium of the Radio City Music Hall.

The Art Deco era dates from the early twentieth century, from around 1920 to 1930. Back then, the style was not known as Art Deco, instead it was referred to as "Art Moderne" or "Modernistic", and later it was also called "Jazz Pattern" or "Skyscraper Modern." It wasn't until 1960 that the term Art Deco was introduced. The Art Deco style was a reversal, or revolt, of the former Art Moderne style.

Art Deco lamps are generally made from metal such as chrome, bronze, and brass. The base used materials such as alabaster, coral, and various metals. The lampshade was clear or coloured glass, often containing a regular geometric motif. A figurine is often included, whether as the upright owner for the glass lamp, or cut off attached to the base. The figurines were generally shapes of slender females with short bobbed hairstyles.

Many different types of lamps are available, such as freestanding floor lamps, desk lamps, table lamps, bedside lamps, and chandelier hanging lamps. Many of these lamps have current values of up to ten thousand dollars. They are not all officially antique yet, instead they are classed as vintage, meaning their age is between fifty and one hundred years. They create a huge estimate of interest when they become ready for sale, because their value is expected to growth in the near hereafter as soon as they become valid antiques.

One aspect of antique Art Deco lamps is that when it comes to identifying them, it is generally easier than other types of antiques such as pottery, furniture, or china. There are many exquisite reference books ready on the subject, and most libraries will have some in stock. The major problem in identifying the objects is that they are heavily copied and reproduced, and it can be difficult to tell if the object is categorically old and not a up-to-date copy. The gravidity lamps have diminutive or no value when compared to the originals.

For any person with an interest in antiques, this is a great area to get complicated in. The estimate of knowledge that is required to become 'expert' is much less than many other types of antiques. The financial rewards are considerable. If this appeals to you, start off by learning as much as you can. Buy some reference books, and research the Internet also where you will find lots of free information. Check to see if your local adult study center has classes on the subject. Talk to people and never be afraid to ask questions. people complicated in antiques are regularly very passionate about the subject, and love to talk about it.

Learn how to spot the differences between originals and gravidity copies. When you are ready, start visiting every store in your area. Look for every flea market, garage sale, estate auction, and also remember to check all the classified adverts in your local newspaper. Very often you will be able to collect an antique Art Deco lamp at much less than the current value.

Learn About ancient Art Deco Lamps
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All About ancient Kerosene Lamps

In the late nineteenth century, and even well into the twentieth century, kerosene lamps were the main source of lighting in many households. I lived in Bush Alaska in the early to mid 1960s, where electricity was nonexistent, and at that time, kerosene lamps were the only lighting that we had.
 
It is possible to find aged kerosene lamps in aged shops today as well as in flea markets, yard and garage sales. In Great Britain, these were known as paraffin lamps. In design, kerosene lamps ranged from quite plain two very ornate and were made from many distinct types of metal, such as iron, brass, or even tin. Some were made of glass. The more ornate aged kerosene lamps are very extremely valued as collectibles and can be mounted on the wall, most often with a expedient known as a projector behind the lamp to growth the brightness.
 
There are two types of aged kerosene lamps: wick and pressure. A wick kerosene lamp has a wide, braided wick with an adjuster knob. The knob allows the wick to be moved up and down, depending on the height of flame that is required. All kerosene lamps have a reservoir, and in the case of a wick lamp, the wick is let down into the reservoir, and the fuel travels up the wick and is then burned. The wick of a kerosene lamp should be kept neatly trimmed, and should never be turned up high, as this will cause smoking and will blacken the globe.
 
In a pressure kerosene lamp, the pressurized fuel moves up through a thin tube into a mantle and is then burned. The mantle is made of a very delicate fabric treated with chemicals which are incandescent. Both kinds of kerosene lamps highlight globes which in most aged kerosene lamps, is made of glass. The globe causes an updraft, the follow of which is a brighter flame.
 
I have used both kinds of aged kerosene lamps, and I without fail prefer the wick lamp. It is very quiet, and if you keep the wick trimmed neatly it will burn with a steady, comforting glow. You know that the lamp is out of fuel when the light dies down. If the lamp is made of glass, you plainly check the level of kerosene visually. My feel with pressurized kerosene lamps has been that they tend to flare up and can be very dangerous. However, if your lamp is well maintained and burned in a safe location, you will find that kerosene lamps, whether aged or modern, are a very enjoyable source of light.

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All About ancient Kerosene Lamps
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The most recent Collecting Craze - ancient Lamps!

Antique ceramics lamps can be oil lamps or electric lamps, plainly depending on when they were made and for what market. Some of these ancient lamps are oil burning lamps. The most generally recognized ancient oil lamps are built with a large globe on the bottom and a smaller globe on top. Most of these are very decorative, with both globes painted, commonly with floral designs.

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Electric ancient ceramics lamps are typically of a table lamp style, but are still well known for having painted designs and patterns on one or both globes. There is a wide and varied assortment of ancient lamps that can be purchased from 'Net sites, ancient stores, or even (sometimes) at yard or garage sales. These lamps may be oil or electric, plain or fancy, but are roughly always high quality, as well as a lovely addition to a room or house.

One of the most constantly popular of all of the types of ancient lamps is the banker's lamp. A bankers lamp is commonly constructed of a brass post with a green or blue glass shade. Today, the green shades are most base in fertilization lamps, but the blue shades were as base in the former type.

Antique porch lamps, which are very popular with designers today, were originally used not on porches, but in carriages. Carriage lamps were mostly made of brass, wrought iron, or wood, and were mounted on the carriage doors or side walls. The sturdy construction and design of the carriage lamps makes them well considerable to their modern use as porch lights. They are commonly seen mounted on either side of a door.

The ancient torchiere lamp, the ancient brass floor lamp, and the ancient art deco lamp are some of the more modern ancient lamps that are still very popular today. Torchiere lamps are very beneficial and easy to place, because they furnish indirect absorbing light to a room or area without the trouble of installing overhead fixtures. Most ancient lamps are quite ornate and beautiful, since they were considered to be a design feature, not just an appliance.

Antique brass floor lamps are very popular, partly because they are well made and sturdy, and partly because they are plentiful on the market. Brass floor lamps typically need diminutive in the way of renovation; a bit of polishing, modern wiring, and possibly a shade are all that is needed.

The gorgeous designs of Art Deco lamps make them very valuable, not only as antiques, but also for the intrinsic design value of that period. Art Deco lamps might be made from brass, copper, mica, stained glass, or other aesthetically pleasing (and somewhat atypical) materials.

Antique kerosene lamps are well liked, not only for their value as antiques, but also for their attractiveness and functionality. The most popular type of ancient oil lamp (from the late 1800's) is the trainee lamp.

These trainee lamps were available as both particular and double burner models. They were widely used because they threw very diminutive shadow which made them ideal for their intended purpose as a reading and study lamp.

The most recent Collecting Craze - ancient Lamps!
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