Raffles Revisited: Essays in Collecting and Colonialism in Java, Singapore, and Sumatra

This book of essays arose out of the Revisiting Raffles symposium and evening lectures at the Asian Civilisations Museum held in conjunction with the exhibition Raffles in Southeast Asia: Revisiting the Scholar and Statesman (1 February to 28 April 2019). Contributions from scholars, writers, and an artist – based in Singapore and internationally – explore issues surrounding collecting, colonialism, and writing about the culture and past of Southeast Asia. Part One revisits Raffles, the man and the myth, questioning and correcting much previous scholarship. Part Two provides fresh perspectives on aspects of the art, architecture, and historiography of Java, Singapore, and the Malay world. Part Three explores the role natural history, past civilisations, and landscapes played in the colonial project. Overall, the volume offers new approaches and perspectives to Singapore and Southeast Asia’s colonial past.