A day trip to Royal Selangor Visitor Centre
Royal Selangor. I’ve heard the name, seen the pewter, admired the craftsmanship from glass window of its retail outlets namely in Suria KLCC and Central Market, wanted to visit the place but never made an effort to do so, until last Saturday. The main reason was because I didn’t know that I can just walk in and visit.
The visit begins when I take the escalator up to the first floor from the main lobby to reach the museum area.
Back in 1882, in a port town of Shantou, China, a young boy named Yong Koon, age 11, learned how to make pewter. Three years later, at the age of 14, he braved himself to sail to Malaya and join his brothers, who both had already established themselves as tinsmiths in a town of tin mining known as Kuala Lumpur. The Yong brothers had a shop called Ngeok Foh (Jade Peace), hand-crafted pewter objects mainly for ceremonial use.
In 1930, Yong Koon, his wife and sons moved to their own shophouse at Jalan Pudu and named the shop Malayan Pewter Works. The next decade saw how family disputes had Yong Koon’s sons shuffled allegiance and formed 3 other companies namely Tiger Pewter, Selangor Pewter and Lion Pewter. It was that Selangor Pewter that was run by Peng Kai, Yong Koon’s 3rd son that had survived to this date.
Selangor Pewter was renamed Royal Selangor in 1979 when The Sultan of Selangor conferred them the warrant as Royal Pewterer.
Left: Yong Koon in front of Jade Peace situated at Cross Street (now Jalan Silang), KL. Right: Yong Koon in his old age.
Other than history, the museum features old tin currency, pewter artefacts and Yong Koon’s original pewtersmithing tools and personal effects. The museum also houses the Melon Pot, one of Yong Koon’s original pewter pieces that found its way back to the founder’s family members in an unusual way.
The legendary Melon Pot that bears Jade Peace touchmark. It was found by Ah Ham, a villager in Kajang during WW2. The pot made it’s way to Selangor Pewter in the 70s for polishing and it was quickly recognised as it has Jade Peace touchmark. Selangor Pewter tried to acquire the pot but Ah Ham could not depart from the pot that he thought had saved his life during the war. But years later, before he died, he sold the pot to Selangor Pewter.
One of Yong Koon’s early works—a teapot that features a mythical dog that is believed to bestow good fortune and success.
Left: Evolution of touchmarks. Right: The legendary first touchmark.
There is also few interesting sections such as The Science of Pewter, Giant Weighing Scale, Chamber of Chimes, where I think that will attract kids. Other than that there’s Wall of Finishes (each wall displays different pewter textures and patterns), Hall of Frames (more than 200 photo frames on display) and Twin Towers Replica (constructed completely out of 7,062 tankards, standing at 9.1 meters).
Pewter is made of tin, antimony and copper. You and your kids can learn this and many more at the The Science of Pewter section.
Hall of Frames!
Then I visited the factory. The factory tour shows visitors the elaborate processes of pewter-making; detailed hand-crafting that goes into each piece include casting, filing, polishing, soldering and hammering. This factory has 250 skilled craftspeople who create beautiful pewter pieces that are sold in over 20 countries. As Royal Selangor maintains its tradition of craftsmanship, every piece made is still hand finished to an astonishing degree.
A skilled worker removing rough edges using steel a blade.
Here how it’s done: the first step is casting, a process where tin, antimony and copper are melted at 250 degrees Celsius to make molten pewter. Skilled artisans pour the molten pewter into moulds. After it solidifies, the mould is dismantled and the casting is removed. To remove the oxidation and rough edges, a steel blade is used to skim over a rotating piece of pewter to give the surface a satin-like finish. Designs in different shapes and sizes and with motifs are polished in a different manner. Rough edges are removed using small hacksaw blades and filing tools. Fine sandpaper is also used to remove the yellow patina. The hammering process is a traditional method of pewter decoration made by a steel hammer. A steady hand, precision and consistent strength is needed to create a neat and even line of dimpled patterns.
And the highlights of the visit are The School of Hard Knocks and The Foundry. I had fun at these two sections.
My pewter dish.
At The School of Hard Knocks, I experienced the rigours of traditional pewter-crafting! I was guided through the process of creating a pewter dish using traditional tools such as the hammer, mallet and wooden mould. At the end of the session, I get to keep my bowl. In addition, I was given a certificate of completion, and that makes me a certified bowl artisan!
Details of workshop:
Cost: RM 60 per person
Time: 30 minutes
Group size: 50 (maximum), 4 (minimum)
My E pewter pendant, made by my own hands.
At The Foundry, I get to unleash my artistic talent! I was guided through the process of casting, polishing and decorating a pewter accessory by an experienced instructor. At the end of the session, I get to take home my own pewter accessory.
Details are as follows:
Cost: RM 150 per person
Time: 60 minutes
Group size: 12 (maximum), 4 (minimum)
I had a great time at The Royal Selangor Visitor Centre and will certainly visit again with my family. I showed photos of the visit to my son and he is all envy and wants me to take him there next weekend.
If you like to experience the tour and making your own craft at The Foundry, I have a great promotion offer for you, in collaboration with Royal Selangor: you can purchase two passes at RM150 (you save RM150!).
Here how it works:
- Purchase workshop passes at the information counter, Royal Selangor Visitor Center (Setapak branch only) or purchase via e-mail: visitorcentre@royalselangor.com.my.
- Mention the promotion code: FOUNDRY EMILA
- Book the date slot (anytime from 18 August to 19 October 2014)
Enjoy the promotion and enjoy your visit soon!
Address: Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, 4, Jalan Usahawan 6, Setapak Jaya, 53300 Kuala Lumpur. GPS Coordinate: 3.196, 101.724 Contact: +603 4145 6122 | +603 4022 3000 | visitorcentre@royalselangor.com.my
73 Comments
imaisha
wow, bestnya boleh buat pendant sendiri 😀 siap dpt sijil lagi plus bawa balik bowl. tak pernah tau pulak ada workshop open to public. well, sebenarnya mmg tak pernah sampai pun ke Royal Selangor walaupun dkt je dgn rumah parent. kena pegi jugak ni bawak adik2 sekali ^_^
emila
Ha tu la! Bawak adik-adik cepat.
glory jane
seronok juga kan pergi ke sana…
learn new things and precious experience… dpt souvenir unik lagi…
glory jane
Kak em, kalau kita just nak melawat je, tak join workshop kena bayar tak entrance fee?
emila
Boleh. Masuk free. You can either jalan sendiri or request for tour guide. Tour guide is free also.
jaja
Imaisha cepat2 lah guna promotion code Kak Em.. bawak 1 family pergi.. hehehe
jaja
baguslah macam tu.. hehehe
jaja
Jom pergi ramai2.. ehehehe
imaisha
hehe.. nak cpt sgt pun tak boleh.. kena tunggu gaji.. for sure la kita yg kena bayar utk diorg semua nanti.. takpe.. sempat lagi kan sampai bulan Oktober 😉
imaisha
Jommmm! Jaja sponsor ye 😛
jaja
kita tak pergi yang workshop.. hehhe
lawat muzium je…. saya dah ada 1 pendant dari royal selangor.. 🙂
imaisha
tapi alang2 dah ada promotion tu, kena la join workshop sekali jane.. baru la berbaloi dtg 😉
imaisha
oh, kiranya jaja mmg dah join workshop tu sebelum ni ke? or lecturer jaja yg bagi hadiah pendant tu? hehe..
jaja
pendant tu dapat masa senior ada buat final exhibition.. dorang tempah pendant logo budak department kami.. 🙂
imaisha
wah, bestnya! eksklusif gituu 😉 bagus la senior boleh came up with that kind of idea.. ^_^
glory jane
betul tu imaisha….
glory jane
payah nak bersilat dgn baby ni, hihi….
kalau suami boleh la join workshop tu…
glory jane
takut nanti nak buat mangkuk jadi pinggan la pula…
nak buat huruf n jadi o tanpa lubang je….
glory jane
bestnye ada pendant ekslusif….
eh, pendant pun mahal juga kan?
glory jane
ok… menangis tgk harga
glory jane
jom jaja… jln2 g museum dia…
jaja
jane, macam segan je nak pergi bersua muka.. hahaha.. sebab dah biasa berlawak depan skrin je.. hehehe..
imaisha
haha.. saya pulak hanya mampu ketawa dlm tangisan.. :’)
imaisha
hehe.. okla tu.. jadi jugak something kan.. tu la namanya kreatif 😉
imaisha
oh, mmg tak blh la nak ber’workshop’ kalau anak ikut sekali.. kalau bwk babysitter ke, ok la kot..
imaisha
first time jumpa face to face, biasa la kalau segan.. tapi dah kenal nanti, ada la 2nd 3rd time yg menyusul kot 😉
jaja
sebab senior tempah bulk.. so maybe dapat murah..
tapi senior jual kat visitor dalam 20-40.. lupah lah harga.. hehehe
jaja
saya menangis kegembiraan… hehehe
jaja
hehhe.. saya pemalu
imaisha
eh, 20-40 pun kira murah la tu.. untung la siapa yg dpt beli masa tu 😉
imaisha
hihi.. saya pun pemalu jugak.. kalau pemalu jumpa pemalu, mesti mcm awkward kan.. huhu..
jaja
betul2… hehehe
glory jane
tu la… nak berworkshop kena bawa nanny sekali ni…
sbb nnti kita buat, dia pun sibuk gak nak ‘tolong’ buatkan… haish
glory jane
iye la.. untung kalau dpt beli tu… lucky u jaja
glory jane
hihi. kelakar la korg ni 🙂
glory jane
saya pun pemalu gak… dkt sini je pung pang ung pang…
kalau jumpa nnti, saya senyum je… 😛
glory jane
hihi… kita semua ni propa je lebih… tapi masing2 pemalu….
jaja
Kak Em, muzium royal selangor ni besar ke? Kak Em habiskan masa dalam muzium tu berapa lama ye?
jaja
hhehehe…. propaganda semata-mata..
jaja
Dalam banyak2 tempat yang paling saya suka pergi… muzium… hehehe
kalau jalan2 mesti saya cari muzium dulu.. tapi kalau jalan2 dengan orang yang bukan sekepala susah sikit lah… kena bertolak ansur.. hehhehe
jaja
kelakar di alam maya.. hehehe
imaisha
oh, saya suka je pegi mana2 tempat baru yg saya blh belajar sesuatu 🙂 termasuk muzium jugakla.. kadang2 tu terlebih bersungguh je tgk brg exhibit dan baca semua info. so, mmg susah kalau pegi dgn org yg tak sekepala.. mesti kejap je dah kena keluar.. >.<
imaisha
hehe.. gurau senda di alam maya 😉 kalau jumpa di alam nyata, entahla mampu ke tidak kita bercanda 😛
jaja
hehehe.. betul tu.. kot2 senyum menyenyum je kita bila jumpa.. hehehe
jaja
sama lah saya… selalu saya lebih suka pergi sorang je…
imaisha
haha.. pung pang2 ke.. lawak je 😀 tapi mula2 je kot pemalu. dah break the ice nanti, entah2 jane cakap tak henti2 pulak.. hihi..
jaja
memang untung sebab limited edition.. hehehe
imaisha
yela.. kalau nak pegi dgn kwn yg tak minat, kita pulak yg stress bila dia tak sabar nak keluar.. baikla pegi sorang lagi puas hati kan.. ^_~
imaisha
haha.. kang jadi ‘senyum, tak perlu kata apa2’.. silap2 guna telepati pulak nanti.. 😀
jaja
hehehe.. lepas tu bila chat dekat blog kak em… pung pang2 jadinya.. hehehe
jaja
setuju sangat.. 🙂
jaja
betul tu imasha, kreatif tu luas.. tak semestinya kene cantik,,, baru kreatif..
jaja
jane, bagus apa ada orang tolong… hehehe
imaisha
yela.. kreatif tu kan subjektif.. tertakluk pada how we see it.. kadang2 benda abstract yg kita tak faham pun bagi org lain adalah kreatif.. this is art.. it’s really broad.. 😀
jaja
setuju 200%
glory jane
anak saya suka conquer.
nanti sibuk je dia nak buat sendiri… abis la saya takde chance nak belajar… hihi
glory jane
ok2 la kawan2…
nnti kalau saya join workshop saya bg sekali anak ‘tolong’.
biar jadi arca istimewa nnti
jaja
kena ikat.. hehehe
glory jane
tapi betul imaisha…
saya ni pemalu… tak tau nak sembang apa nnti kalau jumpa
glory jane
betul tu imaisha… dan jaja….
saya tak minat sgt museum… hihi… just tengok2, baca sikit2 dah…
tapi suami saya suka…
imaisha
hahaha.. saya siap dah terbayang situasi yg mungkin terjadi.. mmg rasa lawak je 😀
konon2 jumpa malu2 kucing.. tapi bila kat sini lain pulak jadinya ye.. hehe..
imaisha
hehe.. kontra pulak ye.. so, siapa yg kena mengalah? jane ikut suami ke suami yg ikut jane? kalau boleh tolak ansur, ok la.. ^.^
imaisha
saya tgk org jugak.. kalau ada chemistry, cpt mesra.. kalau tak, payah la nak buka mulut. jadi rasanya, kalau ada aktiviti yg kita buat sama2, lebih senang nak rapat sebenarnya.. pada saya la.. kalau setakat duduk makan santai2 tu, mmg rasa mcm takde idea nak borak apa..
jaja
macam tu lagi bagus.. saling melengkapi.. hehehe
imaisha
hehe.. budak2 baya tu mmg aktif.. tapi takkan sampai nak ikat kan.. susah2 sgt tinggal kat tokwan 😛
glory jane
saya ikat anak, imaisha. ikat kat badan (kendong kat belakang mcm pakai beg). hihihi
glory jane
selalu saya mengalah ikut suami… hihi.
masa suami ronda2 baca itu ini, saya selfie sorg2… hahaha.
glory jane
Sejak ada anak ni, dah lama tak g museum…
sbb suami kata sesetengah tempat (dlm museum ada brg2 lama), tak elok bawa anak kecil…
Waniwisy
Hmm belajar buat pewter sendiri best jugak kan!
Hafsah ahmad
Best2
Hafsah ahmad
Pernah tgk school of hard knocks tu dkt tv. Ade kids show that went there. Looks fun.
Hafsah ahmad
Maybe blh pergi when my child is bigger 🙂
Hafsah ahmad
Yoon Koon’s journey is amazing. 1882 and his legacy still remains strong till now.