the familiar painting

Does this painting ring a bell? You've seen it somewhere, right? Yeah, you can find this mural at the main entrance of the renowned The Empire Hotel and Country Club, Jerudong. I extract the following article from the Borneo Bulletin Brunei Yearbook, 15th edition, pages E86-87 (as I cannot find this story elsewhere).

illustration of Sultan Bolkiah's (1485-1524) lavish reception to the first European visitors to Brunei in 1521

Antonio Pigafetta, the Italian chronicler during Ferdinand Magellan's world voyage, visited Brunei during Sultan Bolkiah's reign, and he wrote about the splendour of the sultan's court and a view of the state capital. Magellan sailed around South America, across the Pacific Ocean, and reached the Philippines where he was killed.

Pigafetta was aboard the Spanish ship Victoria when it reached Brunei in July 1521 and the ship anchored at Muara. Pigafetta wrote the first detailed account of Brunei. He said the Spaniards went to Kota Batu aboard "prahus" (native wodden boats). They ate and ate in the house of the port official (Shahbandar). They went to the King's palace riding on elephants.

"There were 300 foot-soldiers with naked rapiers at their thighs in that hall, to guard the King," Pigafetta wrote. He said they talked to the King by passing messages through several officials. The brother of the governor would pass the message, through a speaking tube in the wall, to the person who was inside the hall with the King.

He said the houses of the King and certain chiefs were on land. The city was built entirely in salt water, and had 25,000 families.

"There is a large brick wall in front of the King's house with towers like a fort, in which were mounted 56 bronze pieces and six of iron. That King is a Moro (Muslim) and his name is Raja Siripada. He is 40 years old and corpulent. He never goes outside his palace, unless when he goes hunting, and no one is allowed to talk to him except through the speaking-tube," Pigafetta wrote.

image from Brunei Tourism's website