Pahang State Museums: Islamic Arts and Culture in the Spotlight
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Pahang State Museums: Islamic Arts and Culture in the Spotlight
Led by the visionary museum director, Dato Ahmad Farid, a once sprawling cluster of old decrepit colonial buildings is now an astounding benchmark and example of contemporary museum and museology in Asia.
At the former trading gate-way city of Pekan in Malaysia, Trika’s museum conservation showcases unveil a collection of precious antiquities associated with the rise of Islamic influences from the Middle East to Asia from as early as the 7th century.
Built in 1929 to the 11th century hypostyle architecture, the collection of museums comprises four repurposed buildings, one of which is still operating as a mosque. The rare exhibits – from sacred scriptures and royal documents to textiles, ancient musical instruments, historic weaponry, and scientific equipment – are on permanent display in its vaulted spaces, framed by imposing twin-tier arches.
Against a timeline of over 10 years, a total of more than 100 bespoke cases were produced and transported from Singapore to the eastern coastal town of Pekan in Malaysia.
The minimalistic clean lines and contemporary modernity of Trika’s showcases are all part of Museum Director Dato Farid’s intuitive vision to craft a design narrative that is so refreshingly in sync with the ancient classics of Muslim culture, religion, and community. This physical dialogue is represented by painstakingly curated artifacts tracking Islam’s march and influence across the entire Malay archipelago throughout the last few centuries.
Document-style showcases are suspended on specially commissioned glass plinths. Nestled within niches between ornate pillars, frameless glass cases hold precious scrolls of ancient Islamic scriptures. Walls of nearly three metres tall showcases were installed from floor to ceiling to tell the stories of everyday objects and artifacts used over the centuries.
The classic all-glass vitrines of the Turin showcase system provides a clear 360-degree view of the fragile exhibits. Air-tight and tested to less than 0.1 Air Exchange Rate (AER) per day, these cases are conditioned with passive artsorbs to counter any fluctuating humidity, ensuring the preservation of the priceless antiquities.
A popular variant to the heavy-duty TD2, the Turin case system is also completely demountable and modular. The cases is designed to be assembled onsite effortlessly and is suited to changing galleries or themes. The result is a series of stunning display showcases crafted to honour the mostly religious exhibits and the majestic interiors of this important historical cluster of iconic museums in the eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
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