| Lotuses and water lilies are teratai in Malay. They grow by the water and quietly expand…Like its namesakes, Teratai –the shop, is located in the middle of the historical street that borders the river in the Malaysian East Coast town of Kuala Terengganu. It was conceived to provide an outlet to the crafts from the surrounding traditional villages while preserving the atmosphere of the area. But it has become also, for those who have just come to dive on nearby islands, an easy one-stop shopping spot for souvenirs from all of South Asia. Besides a selection of batiks from Terengganu, there are silks from Thailand and hand woven textiles from Indochina and Bali. There are woodcarvings, pewter and bronze. Some items are valuable antiques, some are simple incense sticks wrapped in leaves and cute bead necklaces….
Most interestingly, the walls are decorated by carefully framed reproductions of the watercolour work of Chang Fee Ming. Teratai is the place where one can find limited editions prints signed by the artist and buy his books that will make exclusive presents. There is also a collection of page markers and postcards depicting the life of the Malay villagers as Chang Fee Ming have known them.
The building itself is full of character. It was built in 1931by the family of the Chew brothers, the three of them famous painters in their time. It has a Dutch style frontispiece, a stucco façade, red and brown star patterned tiles on the floor, and enormous Venetian columns. Like in many shop houses, a feeling mystery grows as one penetrates deeper inside and at sunset it is surrounded by the shrill calls of swiftlets gathering to roost. |
