• Art & Places,  Penang,  sculpture

    Art & Places: Welded Iron Wall Caricatures, Georgetown, Penang

    I came across one of  many caricatures installed around Georgetown. Since the inner city of Georgetown has been declared as World Heritage Site by UNESCO in July 2008, Penang State Tourism Development & Culture has been developing a project called ‘Marking Georgetown’ since 2009. This project consists of a total of 52 sculpture located around the city. ‘Marking Georgetown’ creatively symbolises street and social history of the early settlement days. The project showcases the works of cartoonists such as Tang Mun Kian and Baba Chuah.

    Here is one that I managed to capture during my short visit to Georgetown.

     Welded Iron Scuplture in Georgetown, Penang
    Tok Tok Mee by  Tang Mun Kian. Installation work was done by Scuplture at Work.

    Tok Tok Mee is the name of a steel-rod sculpture placed at the junction of Lebuh China and Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling. The sculpture tells how hawkers of wantan mee signal their presence by striking ‘tok, tok’ sound. Housewives and children would be scurrying out of their homes to buy a bowl or two soon they heard the ‘tok, tok’ sound.

    Reference:
    http://www.visitpenang.gov.my/download2/Street-Art-Brochure.pdf
    http://www.penang-traveltips.com/tok-tok-mee-sculpture.htm

     

  • Buildings,  Penang

    Jubilee Clock Tower, Georgetown, Penang

    My son and I took a trishaw around Penang Esplanade and at the intersection of Light Street, Beach Street (Lebuh Pantai) and King Edward’s Place (Persiaran King Edward), we saw a clock tower.We managed to see part of the inscription written on the tower ‘This clock tower was presented to Penang….

    Jubilee Clock Tower, Penang

    clock-tower-inscription

    After doing some reading online, I learned the name of the tower; The Jubilee Clock Tower.

    Previously known as QueenVictoria Memorial Clock Tower, the clock tower is a free-standing clock tower at the intersection of Light Street, Beach Street (Lebuh Pantai) and King Edward’s Place (Persiaran King Edward). Completed in 1902 in commemoration of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, the clock tower rises to 60 feet to mark the 60-year reign of Queen Victoria.

    The full inscription on the tower reads ‘This clock tower was presented to Penang by Cheah Chen Eok in commemoration of Her Majesty Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee 1937-1897‘.

    This clock tower comprises of 4 tiers; the base is octagon-shaped and the following two tiers comprise four distinct sections with elaborate windows, balconies and a clock face on each side. The topmost tier is rounded off with Roman pillars and topped with a golden dome cupola.

    The total cost of construction came to$35,000, a princely sum in those days, borne by Cheah Chen Eok, a wealthy businessman. Chen Eok was also a Justice of Peace, Municipal Commissioner of Penang, member of the Chinese Advisory Board, a trustee of the Penang Free School and member of all local clubs. Chen Eok regarded himself as a loyal British subject and when Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, he offered to fully fund the erection of a clock tower in commemorating the event.

    During the Second World War, many bombs were dropped around the nearby government buildings and interestingly, this resulted in the slight lean of the clock tower.

    Reference:
    http://overseaschineseinthebritishempire.blogspot.com/2011/12/cheah-chen-eok.html
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jubilee_clock
    http://www.penang.ws/penang-attractions/queen-victoria-memorial.htm