Page 17 - Raffles09_March2022

Singapore souvenir
The grandfather clock is perhaps one of the most stately and magnificent timepieces ever created. Picture its polished wood panelling, its delicate mechanisms ticking gently to sound each second like a heartbeat and its soldier-like stature. No surprise then that a hotel as grand as Raffles Singapore is home to one; an heirloom piece with a richly detailed face believed to pre-date the hotel. Daily maintenance of a timepiece as majestic as this is up to the hotel’s concierge who winds the clock every morning, and when the clock chimes at eight o’clock every evening, the lobby pianist is prompted to play Noel Coward’s classic tune I’ll See You Again.
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raffles.com/singapore
Time capsules
It’s easy to lose yourself in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts’ labyrinthine galleries, which house nearly 500,000 works spanning European art, musical instruments and treasures from the ancient world. Enquiry is actively encouraged at every turn and time travel is even made possible as you step into the impressive American Period Rooms, located in the Art of the Americas Wing. The Parlor, Dining Room and Bedroom are near-perfect recreations of neoclassical interiors, with original furnishings by Samuel McIntire, John and Thomas Seymour, and the painter Michele Felice Cornè recalling a bygone era. A historical snapshot of 19th-century New England that continues to enthral visitors to Boston in the 21st century.
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mfa.org
Objects of desire
A veteran on the Istanbul antiques scene, Aslı Günşiray has an eye for collecting treasures. Working like a magpie to source precious relics and antiquities from across Europe and the Bosphorus, Günşiray has been amassing gems since 1988. Over the decades she has accumulated Ottoman-era curios, Anatolian artworks as well as antique coffee sets, liqueur bottles, and vases from the French, Far East and Turkish regions. Finding the commonalities between such an eclectic mix, Günşira’s touch for curation is an art form. “I believe artworks should exist in working and living spaces as art improves the quality of life,” she says. Step into her boutique and showroom in Çukurcuma and you too will discover the transformative power of these objets d’art.
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asligunsiray.com
RAFFLES MAGAZINE 15
TREASURE