One of the ways in which the Peranakan, or Straits Chinese indulged both their connections with the British Empire and their Chinese love of decoration was in the use of Victorian-era ceramic tiles imported from Britain. These can be seen in many of the ‘five foot ways’ at the front of their shophouses. A walk around Georgetown quickly brought up a range of patterns and styles.

Now I’m no expert and so cannot claim that all these are by Minton, or that they are all Victorian era. They are all, however, a celebration of geometric pattern in decorative form, and wonderful survivors.

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