MS 
EN 
Arca
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SCULPTURE 1 : TOO SALTY
ADDRESS : NO. 32, LEBUH LIGHT
In `Too salty’, two Tamil labourers attribute their lack of hair to ingesting too much salt. Formerly, salt was important both for preserving food as well as a condiment. Sacks of salt were unloaded on jetty at the end of Jalan Green Hall then stored in its godowns.
The Tamil name for this area was Uppuvearan Teni or “Salt Traders’ Street”, a reference to the salt trading activities carried out here at this area.
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SCULPTURE 2 : JIMMY CHOO
ADDRESS : NO. 104 LEBUH MUNTRI
Less background detail is evident in the famous shoe designer, for this piece is intended as a celebration of the young native of Penang who became an internationally know shoe designer. Jimmy Choo began learning his craft at the nearby Hong Kong Shoe Store, before leaving to study design in London.
The figures portray a delighted customer, admiring her new shoes, the quite satisfaction of the master shoemaker and the unalloyed pride and happiness of the designer.
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SCULPTURE 3 : WIN-WIN SITUATION
ADDRESS : NO. 165 LEBUH MUNTRI
Muntri street, where this pieces is located, was named after the Orang Kaya Menteri of Larut, Perak Ngah Ibrahim, and records the inter-racial and commercial trading links between the Orang Kaya Menteri or Ruler of Larut, and the predominantly Chinese towkays (employer) of Penang who controlled the mining and smelting of tin ore. -
SCULPTURE 4 : MR. FIVE FOOT WAY
ADDRESS : NO. 109 JALAN HUTTON
In Hokkien, Goh Kah Kee means five foot way, the shaded walkways reputedly designed to shelter pedestrians from the tropical sun and torrential rains. `Mr Five Foot Way’ is a generic name for the many itinerant small traders and hawkers who set up their stalls in these five-foot ways. -
SCULPTURE 5 : ONE LEG KICKS ALL
SCULPTURE 5 : ONE LEG KICKS ALL
ADDRESS : NO. 52, LORONG LOVE
An occupation that draws uni riots between rival secret societies. One of the most intriguing aspects of these riots is that both sides were multiracial, with the Muslim Red Flag association and the Hokkien Toa Peh Kong Society united against the Muslim White Flag and the Cantonese Ghee Hin.
The most serious riots broke out in August 1867 at Lebuh Cannon area. In order to put down this unrest, the alarmed colonial authorities called in reinforcements from Singapore, and cannons were fired near the site of this sculpture, leading to today`s names of Lebuh Cannon and Medan Cannon. It is said bullet holes from this time can still be found in the walls of surrounding buildings.
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SCULPTURE 6 : BULLOCK CART WHEEL
ADDRESS : NO.101 LEBUH BISHOP
The `Bullock Cart’ sculpture is located on Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, one of the four major streets in the original grid pattern laid out by Francis Light. The Bullock Cart Wheel sculpture captures two different historical insights of Penang. Firstly this stretch of road was used until recently for parking bullock carts, while the ½ - cent Straits Settlement coin is an allusion to a stingy person, who perceives the coin to be as big as the wheel of a bullock cart.
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SCULPTURE 7 : NARROWEST FIVE FOOT WAY
ADDRESS : NO. 35 LORONG LOVE
This popular piece is composed of five separate figures occupying adjacent columns that support a `Five-Foot Way’ or shaded walkway, designed to provide shelter from the tropical sun. The figures represent an Indian dhoby wallah carrying a laundry basket, a Chinese amah, a young child, a coolie and an English planter, and provide a snapshot of early George Town`s multiracial composition.
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SCULPTURE 8 : ROTAN
ADDRESS : NO. 37OE LEBUH CHULIA
Continuing with the theme of cane or `Rotan’, this sculpture is attached to the wall of a cane furnishings shop, and poses an interesting question of preferences for the schoolboy returning home to ponder, as his mother snaps, `Thick, Medium or Thin?’
URL: SCULPTURE 8 ROTAN
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SCULPTURE 9 : BECA
ADDRESS : NO. 57 LORONG STEWARD
Today, `Cannon Hole’ is one of the most photographed of the `Making George Town’ sculptures, possibly due to the humour of the piece, though few will be aware of the history of this location.
By contrast, in `Beca’ (trishaw) shows that a modern day trishaw rider is being burdened with an endless list of famous sights to be visited, by an overweight pair of tourists. `Beca’ is another example of a later sculpture, this piece including a real trishaw. Explore yourself by taking a trishaw for sightseeing in George Town World Heritage Site.
URL: SCULPTURE 9 BECA
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SCULPTURE 10 : GOLD TEETH
ADDRESS : NO. 47 LEBUH GEREJA
`Gold Teeth’ celebrates possibly the traditional goldsmith in the heritage area. Here we see, a customer point to her gold tooth and ask,” Can you turn this into a ring?”
The Goldsmith continues to create intricate jewellery using the most basic tools with his skills. Using a burner, he firstly melts a small amount of gold which is poured into a mould; once cooled, he cuts and shape the desired design, a time consuming process. As each of his pieces is hand, rather than machine made, and often is made to order, each is unique in its design.
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SCULPTURE 11 : SPY
ADDRESS : NO. 34 LEBUH CINTRA
It is commonly believed that prior to World War II, the Japanese owners of camera shop in this area were engaged in photographing and recording military information that would later prove invaluable during the invasion of Malaya. A Japanese `dance hostess’ is also shown in this piece.
URL: SCULPTURE 11 SPY
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SCULPTURE 12 : BUDGET HOTEL
ADDRESS : NO. 320 LEBUH CHULIA
Most of the shophouses were turned into the budget hotels since last century. `Budget Hotels’ on Love Lane pokes fun at a heavily laden backpacker, a common sight in this area, checking into his `5 Star Budget Hotel’.
The proprietor is happily ringing up various charge on his cash register, while offering a ranger of other services, all of which are available at a `special price’. It is all proving a little too much for the bewildered youth, clutching his soap, towel and room key.
While formerly Love Lane had a sleazy reputation, today its old shophouses are increasingly being remodelled as boutique hotels, `heritage’ cafes aimed and pubs.
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SCULPTURE 13 : CHEATING HUSBAND
ADDRESS : NO. 318 LEBUH CHULIA
`Cheating husband’ is a sculpture with an amusing cartoon caricature in an embarrassing situation. It is more likely to laugh at the character and his situation. It has been suggested that in this piece on Love Lane, an errant husband is making a rapid retreat from his lover`s bedroom to prevent his wife from discovering them. The origin of the name, Love Lane is uncertain: certainly it is a very old road, being marked on a map of George Town dated 1801.
One explanation for its unusual name is that it refers to the practice in the nineteenth century of wealthy men (of all races) keeping multiple wives and or mistresses. A towkay`s (employer) principal home might have been on the neighbouring Lebuh Muntri, while the problem of how to house and spend time with each of his consorts, not to mention avoid conflict in thr home was solved with house such as those in Love Lane.
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SCULPTURE 14 : QUIET PLEASE
ADDRESS : NO. 11 LEBUH KING
`Quiet Please’ also know as `Street Fighters’, in Lebuh Gereja (formerly Church Street) references the fact this street was not only home to a Portuguese church, but also to the Ghee Hin Society, in those days notorious for their feuds with the Tua Peh Kong.
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SCULPTURE 15 : TOO HOT
ADDRESS : GUDANG NO. 90 PENGKALAN WELD
`Too Hot’ is included here with the other food related sculptures. It`s easy to miss, being installed well above head height on a warehouse wall near Swettenham Pier, on Pengkalan Weld, but contains as good deal of detail that deserves a longer look. See the hawker`s charcoal cookers and wicker basket, the small traditional stools as well as the customer’s head literally bursting into flame after eating `Kelinga mee’.
URL: SCULPTURE 15 TOO HOT