Title
Hairpins
Year/Period
Late 19th- early 20th century
Region
Singapore or Malacca
Dimension
Object size: XXXX-03279-001: L156 cm,
Object size: XXXX-03279-002: L131 cm,
Object size: XXXX-03279-003: L112 cm,
Object size: XXXX-03279-004: L139 cm
Object size: XXXX-03279-002: L131 cm,
Object size: XXXX-03279-003: L112 cm,
Object size: XXXX-03279-004: L139 cm
Accession No.
XXXX-03279
Collection of
These hairpins are known as ‘korek kuping’, which literally means ‘ear picks’. A Peranakan woman, also known as Nonya, would traditionally tie her waist-long hair into a coiled bun, which would be held in place with hairpins. The common practice in Malacca and Singapore was to use three pins whereas in Penang, up to seven hairpins were used. As the bun was worn high near the top of the head and was wound very tightly, older Nonyas face gradual hair loss, receding hairlines, and bald spots. By the 1930s, hairpins were no longer relevant to the younger Nonyas who cut their hair according to the latest Western fashions.
