Serving Tray (Gibbon), William Farquhar

The collection comprises 477 watercolour drawings commissioned by William Farquhar, the first Resident and Commandant of Singapore (1819-1823), during his prior tenure as Resident of Melaka. These natural history drawings depict the flora and fauna of the Malay Peninsula, most likely accomplished by local Chinese artists, with inscriptions identifying the species by their English and Malay names. Farquhar brought this set along with him when he left Singapore, and subsequently donated it to the Royal Asiatic Society in London in 1827. In 1993, it was put up for auction and purchased by Mr G.K. Goh, who donated the entire collection to the National Museum of Singapore.

Qua presents the Serving Tray with the artwork of the Dark-handed Gibbon from the William Farquhar collection. It serves as the perfect Singapore housewarming gift and souvenir for overseas visitors and guests.

The dark-handed gibbon, pictured here hanging off a mangosteen tree, occurs mainly in the northern part of the Malaysia Peninsula. It is an endangered species as a result of losses of its forest habitat. This is one of the 477 watercolour drawings commissioned by William Farquhar, depicting the flora and fauna of the Malay Peninsula at that time.

Packaging: Fabric Box