Mobile Homes @ ACM

Posted by angela under Exhibitions
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Anyone who’s moved at least once in their lives will know what an excruciatingly painful chore it is. So when I visited the Asian Civilisations Museum’s Mobile Homes exhibition, I was really in awe of what the nomadic peoples of Asia could pack up and move once every few months.

As you enter the museum, a cheery mini Mongolian ger greets you. Kids can go inside and play with a number of fun things, such as swords and even a horse’s whip. But the sign outside warns you not to knock - because it brings bad luck to the family.

Inside the exhibition gallery, you’ll find several spectacular life sized mobile homes (on loan from the Hamburg Museum of Ethnology) such as this Mongolian ger, uncovered to give visitors a clear view of what’s inside.

You’ll be amazed to know that this Turkish black tent is made (I mean, aside from the wooden structure) entirely of black goat hair. The black goat hair (presumably after being harvested from its, er, source) is beaten until it is compressed into a thick layer of black cloth.

If you peer closely at this picture, you’ll see wooden cupboards inside this Turkmen yurt. Ordinary? I’d say it’s pretty amazing, considering they had to move the stuff around on camels once every few months.

In fact, if you chew on the fact that EVERYTHING in the galleries has to be dismantled and moved around very frequently, you’ll be very, very impressed. So go on down and check it out for yourself!

‘Mobile Homes: Tents and Shelters for People on the Move’ runs at the Asian Civilisations Museum from 30 May to 9 Aug. For more details, go to http://www.nhb.gov.sg/ACM/Exhibits/CurrentExhibitions/.

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