The Gift

“On 6 February 1819, Stamford Raffles, Temenggong Abdu’r Rahman and Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor signed a treaty that gave the British East India Company (EIC) the right to set up a trading post in Singapore. In exchange, Sultan Hussein was to receive a yearly sum of 5,000 Spanish dollars while the Temenggong would receive a yearly sum of 3,000 Spanish dollars. It was also on this day that the British flag was formally hoisted in Singapore. It marked the birth of Singapore as a British settlement.” Extract directly from National Library Board, Singapore.
 
The painting re-examines that historic day with a playful yet investigative lens. Mimicking Sherlock Holmes, Mah delves into the historical implications, hidden motives, and, of course, the complementary gift of Papaver somniferum.

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