William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings
Encyclopedia
The William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings consists of 477 watercolour
botanical drawings
of plant
s and animal
s of Malacca
and Singapore
by unknown Chinese
(probably Cantonese) artists that were commissioned between 1819 and 1823 by William Farquhar
( – ). The paintings were meant to be off scientific value with much detail to be shown as seen in most drawings except for birds, which shows a storyline much more than what was the original purpose of the drawing. For every drawing, Farquhar
writes the botanical and/or scientific name of the specimen in pencil
a translator pens the name of it in Jawi (using ink
). The paper provided is usually European Paper with blue rectangular borders around it to create a frame.
) to paint watercolours of flora and fuana life of the Malay Peninsula
. Farquhar donated them in eight volumes to the Museum of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland on 17 June 1826. In 1937, the Society lent six of the volumes to the Library of the British Museum (Natural History) (now the Library of the Natural History Museum
), retaining the two volumes of botanical drawings in its own library. In 1991 the Natural History Museum returned the works to the Society for valuation, and on 20 October 1993 the Society offered them for sale by auction at Sotheby's
in London, where they were acquired by Goh Geok Khim, the founder of brokerage firm GK Goh, for S$
3 million. Goh donated the drawings to the National Museum of Singapore
in 1995. As at 2011, the collection was believed to be worth at least $11 million. In 2011, 70 pieces of work from the collection was placed on permanent display in the Goh Seng Choo Gallery
of the museum, named for Goh's father.
which breast is too tinted yellow. Others which have yet to be identified include, a drawing of a climber similar to Smilax
, plate 29 of the collection inscription reads, Soogow probably a misspelling of Saga
, in spite of this reason the plant is much more different to the latter.
Suggestions by historians say that, most of the backdrops in the drawings were refereed through drawing manuals. One such example is a drawing of the Greater Mousedeer
, which in the background of the subject shows a leafless climber
attached to a rock
. But according to some scientists, mousedeer do not live in such areas with rocky outcrops. This concludes that either the artists did not go to observe the environment of the subject or if they did, they weren't observant.
and the National Museum of Singapore
in 2010.
Image:Garcinia Mangostana; Booah Mangies; Boorong Merbo (William Farquhar Collection, 1819–1823).jpg|A watercolour drawing of the zebra dove
or barred ground dove (Geopelia striata, known in Malay as the burung merbuk) perched on a purple mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana; Malay buah manggis) branch. It is one of 477 natural history drawings of plants and animals of Malacca
and Singapore
commissioned by William Farquhar
.
Image:Jasminum; Akar Benang; Pokok Akar Banang (William Farquhar Collection, 1819–1823).jpg|A watercolour drawing of the wild jasmine
(Jasminum laurifolium or Jasminum longipetalum, known in Malay
as bunga pekan or melur hutan).
Image:Onka' Pootie (William Farquhar Collection, 1819–1823).jpg|A watercolour drawing of the lar gibbon
or white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar, known in Malay as ungka tangan putih). The tree may be a bignay
(also known as the bugnay, bignai or currant tree, Antidesma bunius), or it may simply be from the artist's imagination.
Image:Boorong Antoo; Owl (William Farquhar Collection, 1819–1823).jpg|An oriental bay owl
(Phodilus badius; known in Malay
as the burung hantu ("ghost bird"), perched on an angsana tree (Pterocarpus indicus). The illustration of the owl is highly idealized, as each feather is shown in place and separated from the others.
Image:Bentoorong (William Farquhar Collection, 1819–1823).jpg|This watercolour is of a binturong
or Asian bearcat (Arctictis binturong).
Image:Lava Etam (Malay); Black Pepper; Piper Nigrum (William Farquhar Collection, 1819–1823).jpg|black pepper
(Piper nigrum, known in Malay
as lada hitam).
Watercolor painting
Watercolor or watercolour , also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle...
botanical drawings
Botanical illustration
Botanical illustration is the art of depicting the form, colour, and details of plant species, frequently in watercolour paintings. These are often printed with a botanical description in book, magazines, and other media...
of plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s and animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s of Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
by unknown Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
(probably Cantonese) artists that were commissioned between 1819 and 1823 by William Farquhar
William Farquhar
Major-General William Farquhar was an employee of the East India Company, and the first Resident of colonial Singapore.-Early life:Farquhar was born at Newhall, Aberdeenshire, near Aberdeen in 1774, and joined the East India Company as a cadet when he was 17...
( – ). The paintings were meant to be off scientific value with much detail to be shown as seen in most drawings except for birds, which shows a storyline much more than what was the original purpose of the drawing. For every drawing, Farquhar
William Farquhar
Major-General William Farquhar was an employee of the East India Company, and the first Resident of colonial Singapore.-Early life:Farquhar was born at Newhall, Aberdeenshire, near Aberdeen in 1774, and joined the East India Company as a cadet when he was 17...
writes the botanical and/or scientific name of the specimen in pencil
Pencil
A pencil is a writing implement or art medium usually constructed of a narrow, solid pigment core inside a protective casing. The case prevents the core from breaking, and also from marking the user’s hand during use....
a translator pens the name of it in Jawi (using ink
Ink
Ink is a liquid or paste that contains pigments and/or dyes and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing and/or writing with a pen, brush, or quill...
). The paper provided is usually European Paper with blue rectangular borders around it to create a frame.
History
During his tenure as Resident and Commandant of Singapore, Farquhar hired a group of professionally trained Chinese artist from Macau (as described by Munshi AbdullahAbdullah bin Abdul Kadir
Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir , also known as Munshi Abdullah, was a Malayan writer of Indian origin. He was a famous Malacca-born Indian munshi of Singapore and died in Jeddah, then part of the Ottoman Empire ....
) to paint watercolours of flora and fuana life of the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
. Farquhar donated them in eight volumes to the Museum of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland on 17 June 1826. In 1937, the Society lent six of the volumes to the Library of the British Museum (Natural History) (now the Library of the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
), retaining the two volumes of botanical drawings in its own library. In 1991 the Natural History Museum returned the works to the Society for valuation, and on 20 October 1993 the Society offered them for sale by auction at Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
in London, where they were acquired by Goh Geok Khim, the founder of brokerage firm GK Goh, for S$
Singapore dollar
The Singapore dollar or Dollar is the official currency of Singapore. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
3 million. Goh donated the drawings to the National Museum of Singapore
National Museum of Singapore
The National Museum of Singapore is a national museum in Singapore and the oldest museum in Singapore. Its history dates back to 1849 when it was started as a section of a library at Singapore Institution...
in 1995. As at 2011, the collection was believed to be worth at least $11 million. In 2011, 70 pieces of work from the collection was placed on permanent display in the Goh Seng Choo Gallery
Goh Seng Choo Gallery
The Goh Seng Choo Gallery is located within the National Museum of Singapore. the gallery host the collection of William Farquhar`s natural history drawings. The gallery is named after the museum`s chairman, Mr G.K. Goh's late father Mr Goh Seng Choo in his honor...
of the museum, named for Goh's father.
Controversy
Due to poor quality of work done by the artist, some drawings have not been identified. But somehow, botanist have identified some flora and fauna drawn, one including a female drawing of a Raffles's MalkohaRaffles's Malkoha
Raffles's Malkoha is a species of cuckoo . It was formerly often placed in Phaenicophaeus with the other malkohas, but it is a rather distinct species, with several autapomorphies and sexual dimorphism .It might not even be very closely related to the true malkohas, but form a very basal lineage of...
which breast is too tinted yellow. Others which have yet to be identified include, a drawing of a climber similar to Smilax
Smilax
Smilax is a genus of about 300-350 species, found in temperate zones, tropics and subtropics worldwide. In China for example about 80 are found , while there are 20 in North America north of Mexico...
, plate 29 of the collection inscription reads, Soogow probably a misspelling of Saga
Adenanthera pavonina
Adenanthera pavonina is a species of tree, used for its timber, also known as Barbados pride, Coral-wood, Coralwood, Peacock flower fence, Red beadtree, Red sandalwood tree, Red sandalwood, Sandalwood tree, Saga; syn. Adenanthera gersenii Scheff., Adenanthera polita Miq., Corallaria parvifolia Rumph...
, in spite of this reason the plant is much more different to the latter.
Suggestions by historians say that, most of the backdrops in the drawings were refereed through drawing manuals. One such example is a drawing of the Greater Mousedeer
Greater Mouse-deer
The Greater mouse-deer, Greater Malay chevrotain or napu is a species of even-toed ungulate in the Tragulidae family. It is found in Sumatra, Borneo and smaller Malaysian and Indonesian islands, and in southern Myanmar, southern Thailand and peninsular Malaysia...
, which in the background of the subject shows a leafless climber
Vine
A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...
attached to a rock
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
. But according to some scientists, mousedeer do not live in such areas with rocky outcrops. This concludes that either the artists did not go to observe the environment of the subject or if they did, they weren't observant.
Books
Two volumes of books the first being,The William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings, was published in 1999 showing 141 of these illustrations. A second edition containing prints of all 477 works in the Farquhar collection was published by Editions Didier MilletEditions Didier Millet
Editions Didier Millet is a publisher of illustrated general and reference books, emphasising strongly on Southeast Asia. The company also produces books and catalogues for museums, galleries, corporations and other institutions....
and the National Museum of Singapore
National Museum of Singapore
The National Museum of Singapore is a national museum in Singapore and the oldest museum in Singapore. Its history dates back to 1849 when it was started as a section of a library at Singapore Institution...
in 2010.
Gallery
Image:Garcinia Mangostana; Booah Mangies; Boorong Merbo (William Farquhar Collection, 1819–1823).jpg|A watercolour drawing of the zebra dove
Zebra Dove
The Zebra Dove Geopelia striata, also known as Barred Ground Dove, is a bird of the dove family Columbidae, native to South-east Asia. It is closely related to the Peaceful Dove of Australia and New Guinea and the Barred Dove of eastern Indonesia...
or barred ground dove (Geopelia striata, known in Malay as the burung merbuk) perched on a purple mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana; Malay buah manggis) branch. It is one of 477 natural history drawings of plants and animals of Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
commissioned by William Farquhar
William Farquhar
Major-General William Farquhar was an employee of the East India Company, and the first Resident of colonial Singapore.-Early life:Farquhar was born at Newhall, Aberdeenshire, near Aberdeen in 1774, and joined the East India Company as a cadet when he was 17...
.
Image:Jasminum; Akar Benang; Pokok Akar Banang (William Farquhar Collection, 1819–1823).jpg|A watercolour drawing of the wild jasmine
Jasmine
Jasminum , commonly known as jasmines, is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family . It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World...
(Jasminum laurifolium or Jasminum longipetalum, known in Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
as bunga pekan or melur hutan).
Image:Onka' Pootie (William Farquhar Collection, 1819–1823).jpg|A watercolour drawing of the lar gibbon
Lar Gibbon
The lar gibbon , also known as the white-handed gibbon, is a primate in the Hylobatidae or gibbon family. It is one of the better-known gibbons and is often seen in zoos.-Range:...
or white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar, known in Malay as ungka tangan putih). The tree may be a bignay
Antidesma bunius
Antidesma bunius is a species of fruit tree in the Phyllanthaceae. It is native to Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and northern Australia. Its common Philippine name and other names include bignay, bugnay or bignai and currant tree. This is a variable plant which may be short and shrubby or tall...
(also known as the bugnay, bignai or currant tree, Antidesma bunius), or it may simply be from the artist's imagination.
Image:Boorong Antoo; Owl (William Farquhar Collection, 1819–1823).jpg|An oriental bay owl
Oriental Bay Owl
The Oriental Bay Owl is a type of owl, usually classified with barn owls. It is completely nocturnal, and can be found throughout Southeast Asia. It has several subspecies. It has a heart-shaped face with earlike extensions...
(Phodilus badius; known in Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
as the burung hantu ("ghost bird"), perched on an angsana tree (Pterocarpus indicus). The illustration of the owl is highly idealized, as each feather is shown in place and separated from the others.
Image:Bentoorong (William Farquhar Collection, 1819–1823).jpg|This watercolour is of a binturong
Binturong
The Binturong , also known as the Asian Bearcat, the Palawan Bearcat, or simply the Bearcat, is a species of the family Viverridae, which includes the civets and genets. It is the only member of its genus...
or Asian bearcat (Arctictis binturong).
Image:Lava Etam (Malay); Black Pepper; Piper Nigrum (William Farquhar Collection, 1819–1823).jpg|black pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
(Piper nigrum, known in Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
as lada hitam).
See also
- National Museum of SingaporeNational Museum of SingaporeThe National Museum of Singapore is a national museum in Singapore and the oldest museum in Singapore. Its history dates back to 1849 when it was started as a section of a library at Singapore Institution...
- Singapore History GallerySingapore History GalleryThe Singapore History Gallery is 2800 metre square gallery located whithin the vicinity of the National Museum of Singapore.The gallery adopts a story-telling approach unveiling different perspectives through tales of the past.-History:...
- Goh Seng Choo GalleryGoh Seng Choo GalleryThe Goh Seng Choo Gallery is located within the National Museum of Singapore. the gallery host the collection of William Farquhar`s natural history drawings. The gallery is named after the museum`s chairman, Mr G.K. Goh's late father Mr Goh Seng Choo in his honor...
- William FarquharWilliam FarquharMajor-General William Farquhar was an employee of the East India Company, and the first Resident of colonial Singapore.-Early life:Farquhar was born at Newhall, Aberdeenshire, near Aberdeen in 1774, and joined the East India Company as a cadet when he was 17...