Royal Selangor Visitor Centre

With a workforce of more than 250 craftspeople, the pewter factory based in Setapak, Malaysia, is known to be the world’s largest and an integral part of the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre. The visitor centre within a 20-minute taxi ride from the city centre is the one-stop destination for local and international tourists to explore Malaysian history, arts and culture.

One of TripAdvisor’s top three KL destinations, the visitor centre has been a consecutive winner of the following TripAdvisor awards; Certificate of Excellence (2012-2018), Hall of Fame (2014-2018) and Traveller’s Choice Award (2014-2016).

First conceptualised in 2000, the Visitor Centre was built and constructed by team of local and international designers and architects. It was opened in 2004 by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

One can see the importance of the tin mining industry to the history of Kuala Lumpur through the exhibits of actual tin ore, mining pans and a model of a tin dredge on display. Before the advent of paper money, tin was used as currency in the form of different-sized animals and they are on display in the museum section of the centre together with pieces of antique pewter articles.

Visitors explore the composition, unique properties and applications of pewter through engaging, hands-on exhibits at the visitor centre. They also learn about the rise of Royal Selangor and tin mining through interesting artefacts and live pewter crafting demonstrations.

One of the museum’s most interesting highlights is the founder Yong Koon’s melon-shaped teapot. With a stout segmented body and a whimsical stem on the lid, it bears the Ngeok Foh touchmark. The pot is notable for its intricacy: each of the 12 segments that make up the body was individually cut from the pewter sheet and carefully hammered into shape in the old way, then soldered together. It has inspired a line of melon shaped teapots, tea caddies and other melon-shaped products.

Those who love working with their hands can try pewtersmithing at the School of Hard Knocks or The Foundry workshops. A short fun-filled half-hour session, SOHK participants learn to create their own pewter dish using traditional tools, similar to those used by pewtersmiths more than 100 years ago. Those keen on making their own pewter accessory from scratch should join The Foundry. Under the watchful eye of the experienced instructor, participants craft their own take-home pewter accessory using fundamental pewter crafting processes –casting, polishing and decorating, with options to create something freehand or from existing moulds. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shutterbugs and selfie lovers will find many photo-worthy spots around the centre, one of them being the world’s largest tankard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tourist and locals alike can enjoy Malaysian favourites such as nasi lemak, assam laksa as well as sandwiches, pasta and other international bistro style fare at the visitor centre café.

The centre has a showroom which boasts the widest variety of pewterware from Royal Selangor, silverware from Comyns and fine jewellery from Selberan. Both Comyns and Selberan are companies under the Royal Selangor group.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Latest Collections from Comyns
Penguins Figurine and Signet Rings

 

 

 

 

 

Selberan Collections
Kebaya Diamond Pendant & Persia Bangle

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Royal Selangor Visitor Centre is open from 9.00am to 5.00pm every day, including weekends and public holidays. Admission to the Visitor Centre is free, and complimentary guided tours are provided.  For further information, visit visitorcentre.royalselangor.com or call 03-4145 6122.  E-mail enquiries can be directed to visitorcentre@royalselangor.com

 

Design & Craftsmanship

Royal Selangor offers over a thousand different tableware and gift items, from traditional tankards to contemporary homeware and personal accessories.

Always staying ahead of the curve, the company has a design team that has received coveted industry accolades including a Gift of the Year Award from the Giftware Association of the United Kingdom and a Red Dot Award for Product Design from Germany’s Design Zentrum.

Royal Selangor’s collections are further augmented by designers from a wide spectrum of disciplines. Recent collaborations include Celestial Wisdom with Taiwanese artist, Chiang Yi-tze which features fresh interpretations of Confucius and selected disciples; Celestial Blessings with Chinese sculptor, Xu Xiaoyong which shines the spotlight on Guan Gong and Guan Yin, iconic deities on Chinese mythology; and the soon-to-be released Rounds, a drinkware collection with Hong Kong designer, Freeman Lau.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The company is also inspired by cultural treasures from the world’s leading museums such as the British Museum and V&A Museum to create collaborative designs that combine the old and the new. Royal Selangor has also worked together with partners such as The Walt Disney Company and Warner Brothers to commemorate popular culture franchises such as Star Wars, Marvel, Disney Princesses, Toy Story and Batman.

Royal Selangor also custom-makes exclusive pieces for corporations and individuals. Its trophies have graced the winners’ podium for world class events such as the World Cup Golf 1999, 16th Commonwealth Games, Shanghai ATP Masters 1000 and the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Malaysia and Singapore. The company was also appointed licensee for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Millennium Collection, creating a range exclusively to commemorate the spectacular event.