Ev'rything's Coming Up Pewter

Ganesha, a Hindu God (in pewter)

    This evening I went to an "event."  Events are usually promotional opportunities where you get free food and drink in exchange for looking at whatever it is the company wants you to know about and / or buy.  This time it was the Royal Selangor outlet in the very upscale "retail marina" called Straits Quay.   And I (along with most other folks) did just what they wanted us to do, which is go along, drink lots of free-flow red wine, eat little nibbles, and then buy stuff.

     Royal Selangor is truly an iconic Malaysian brand.  I gather that the founder of this family-owned company was a tinsmith from China who came here and really did make his fortune.  He and his brothers started out making items for Chinese Buddhist altars -- things like incense burners, candlesticks, etc.  Then, when the British came along, they added "expat pleasers" like tankards, ashtrays and such. It used to be called simply "Selangor Pewter" and then they got the patronage of the Sultan of Selangor and decided to call the company "Royal Selangor."

       According to Wikipedia, pewter is "a malleable metal alloy, traditionally 85–99% tin, with the remainder consisting of copper, antimony, bismuth and (sometimes, and less commonly today) lead.  Silver is also sometimes used."  I like the look of it a lot,  It's less "blingy" and shiny than silver, which makes it more usable in everyday life.  However, it does seem to have to be polished and cared for in the same way that silver does.  Boo, hiss!

Buddhist Goddess of Mercy

    The company makes all kinds of things, from jewelry to picture frames, beverage items to religious objects.  (That's a very popular Hindu god, Ganesha, the Lord of Beginnings and Remover of Obstacles. )  They're non-denominational over there at Royal Selangor.  They also had a figure of the Goddess of Mercy and plenty of Christian crosses as well.  

Candelabra in shape of monkey cups

  








 But they do modern designs, too, and this was my absolute favorite.  It's so sleek and modern!  It's a candelabra inspired by a species of carnivorous plant that drowns its prey before digesting it.  I'd always called them "pitcher plants," but here they're called "monkey cups."  And there are a lot of varieties that grow in the jungles around here.  Up on Penang Hill they have a tourist attraction called "Monkey Cup Garden" with about 100 different types.  I have to admit that a candelabra as lovely as this has no place in my current lifestyle, but I think it's just so beautifully-designed and elegant.  (And Royal Selangor did NOT pay me to say that!  I just think it's true.)  It's right up my alley!

     To get us all drinking and then buying, the company  brought in a wine expert from K.L.  He showed us what a difference a wine aerator can make.  When I checked the Internet, it said an aerator "expands the surface area of a wine, creating a better bouquet, improved flavors and mouthfeel, and smoother finish by allowing air to mingle with it."  I'm not an oenophile, sorry to say, but I did know the concept.  This fellow had us try the red wine both ways, aerated and not.  And wow -- it really does make a difference!  Of course I had to buy one -- in the shape of a seahorse.  It'll be a Christmas gift, since at this point in my life, serving aerated wine out of proper decanters isn't something I do (or ever did, truth be told.)

    Another thing that impressed me was the lovely design of the shop counter itself.   That's not wood you're looking at; it's pewter.  And boy, is it classy! 

   If I had a thousand dollars, I'd spend a lot of it in this shop buying baubles that I don't really need and would have to polish. That's how beautiful it is!