This key was for a Spanish-style hardwood sideboard dresser that was manufactured in Manila in the early 1920s. It was one of the furniture pieces found in the bridal room of Mr. Chua Chuan Leong’s residence along Victoria Street. Mr. Chua was born in Singapore to a family involved in the construction business while his wife was a migrant from the Hokkien Nanan County in China. During the late 19th to mid 20th century, reproduction European-style furniture such as this was popular among the local Chinese middle class.
