The very unique Peranakan porcelain originated from China. It was brought to South East Asia as a result of increased demand by the Peranakans. Peranakans or Baba Nyonya are descendants of early Chinese immigrants who settled mainly in Singapore, Malacca and Penang in the 15th and 16th centuries. These Straits Settlement states were pit stops for the flourishing spice trade. These early Chinese settlers often married Malay or Indonesian women, and as a result a new local culture gradually emerged, creating a fushion of Chinese and Malay flavour.
I am not a true-bred Peranakan but my mother is. Below are some images of blue and white porcelain that graced our dinner table when I was a young girl.
Dancing With Shadows 
Thanks, Susan. I only have a limited collection of Peranakan porcelain. This was handed down from generations, when the Princess Hang Li Poh arrived from China with her entourage to marry the Sultan of Malacca. The intermarriage between the Chinese and locals gave rise to demand for a special type of porcelain used in typical Peranakan households. I notice that certain Dutch porcelain are quite similar to my blue and white porcelain.
I didn’t know that you are into also pottery. Perhaps you could post some photos of them. 🙂
These are beautiful pieces. I love the brush-work.
And I appreciate how beauty and function are married in these porcelain pieces.
I make pottery, often in porcelain, and have a special affinity for well made artwork, specially when it functions, also!
Helene, I really like the way you integrate history in your blog. I know I’ve said it before. But, few blogs speak about it. Malaysia is on our bucket list. 🙂
Hi Cheryl, so nice to see you visit this post. What a coincidence because I am in the process of updating my Blue and White porcelain images. This particular post was my first tryout with WordPress so I was basically experimenting with how to write a post and how to insert images. I like to integrate a bit of history (not too much, though) as a reminder that what we are enjoying today is largely due to events that shaped our past. Great to know that you are planning to visit Malaysia some day. Malaysia has the best of both worlds – modern lifestyle existing side-by-side with the small town/village life. You’ll like it here. Keep in touch! 🙂