Left: Ong (seated) signing copies of ‘The Chris Ong Collection’ at the Kuala Lumpur launch event.
“WHEN you begin collecting, it’s not about intentionally assembling a collection. Rather, it’s about following one’s instincts to breathe life into something special.
“It’s a deeply personal journey fuelled by passion.”
This is the raison d’etre astutely stated in boutique hotel entrepreneur Chris Ong’s coffeetable book The Chris Ong Collection.
The meticulously crafted debut effort offers a captivating journey through his private collection of exquisite Peranakan porcelain and ceramics.
“I collect antiques and run heritage hotels in Penang,” he shared during the launch and afternoon tea session held in Kuala Lumpur to celebrate the occasion.
This underscored the fact that Ong is also the founder of George Town Heritage Hotels (GTHH) in Penang.
The 270-page limited-edition book is filled with stunning photographs that show off unusual angles of Ong’s exquisite collection, revealing greater depths of appreciation of each piece.
The grand scheme of his plan, as he reveals in the book’s synopsis, not only includes acquiring phenomenal artefacts but also reveals the organisation and impeccable display of these valuable items in his George Town heritage properties.
“I have been collecting antiques my whole life.
Ong’s book has vivid photographs of his collection.— Photos: AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star
“I’m a fifth generation Baba from Penang and my passion is preserving (these antiques) and educating people about Straits Chinese culture,” he said, adding that the book was inspired by stories of his late maternal grandmother Ong Kooi Kee.
Ong’s experience of living half his life out of George Town and finally coming home just before the inscription by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) made him wonder if it was part of a divine plan set out for him.
In 2008, George Town and Melaka were awarded the Unesco World Heritage Site status.
While perusing The Chris Ong Collection, one is enthralled by the visual feast of Peranakan collections that it displays.
“The book contains a lifetime of collections and it took 18 months to produce.
“I’ve never sold my antiques,” he said.
The book contains stories from his childhood and is thus partly a memoir.
In the book, Ong said his life’s mission and destiny encompassed his maternal grandmother’s stories which sparked his imagination, and interest in his heritage.
He became inspired to relate the history of the “gilded age of Peranakan culture in Penang”.
“I was concerned that these artefacts should remain in Penang as I was shocked by the large number of important pieces in Singapore museums that were sourced from Penang families.
“The fact that they were sourced from Penang and had local provenance was a bonus when curating my collection,” he explained in his book.
Most importantly, Ong said he wanted to educate people on these heirlooms and what they should look like, because one of the main issues for collectors these days is that reproductions are being passed off as genuine.
The Chris Ong Collection is available for sale at GTHH hotels and restaurants across Penang. For orders, email booking@georgetownheritage.com
