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Porcelain plate for serving rice balls

Title

Year/Period

1980s

Region

Singapore

Object Type

plates (general, dishes), food and beverage industry equipment

Material

Porcelain

Dimension

Object size: H4.6 x Diameter 20.6 cm

Accession No.

2006-01424

Collection of

National Museum of Singapore

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.