The programme marks the 25th anniversary of the Roundtable, which has 62 members, 10 of which are participating in this event.

The organisation was set up in 1996 by the National Heritage Board to encourage museum-going in Singapore. A travelling exhibition about the Roundtable is also planned for November and December.

The Indian Heritage Centre’s Mythical Creatures tour included stories about the Kirtimukha (Mask Of The Face Of Glory), a 19th-century bronze with a yali (mythical lion), and the garuda.

Docent Rama Srinivasan, 46, points out that the yali motif also appears on a 14th-century gold bracelet excavated at Fort Canning. “Globalisation is not new. There are art and cultural exchanges between India and South-east Asia that go back 2,000 years.”

Docent Caroline Liew offers a lively anecdote about a time capsule buried under the foundation stone of the old Supreme Court building and a crash course on contemporary art using Matthew Ngui’s Chair and Cheo Chai Hiang’s 5′ x 5′ (Inched Deep).

Educator Dorothy Perera, 48, who took her eight-year-old twin daughters on the tour, notes that the pricing is attractive for families and foresees a lot of interest, given the upcoming school holidays.

She says the preview has piqued the family’s interest in the other tours. “It’s a great bonding session for the family. We are all having pandemic fatigue. The surprise element is a selling point and it’s very affordably priced for a family.”

What: Mystery Museum Tours

Where: Various locations

When: Sept 4 to 26, various timings

Admission: From $10 a person.

Info: Click here

Text: Ong Sor Fern/The Straits Times

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