Porcelain plate for serving rice balls

Title
Porcelain plate for serving rice balls
Year/Period
1980s
Region
Singapore
Material
Dimension
Object size: H4.6 x Diameter 20.6 cm
Accession No.
2006-01424

This porcelain plate has a fish motif painted on it. Porcelain plates like this were used to serve traditional hand-rolled rice balls (‘bui jin’ in Hainanese) of chicken rice. The round rice balls symbolised harmony and family cohesion. However, beginning in the 1950s, the number of hawkers selling traditional chicken rice balls dwindled as the government introduced related laws on food hygiene standards.