Title
Blue kebaya with embroidered flowers
Year/Period
Early 20th century
Region
Singapore
Object Type
Material
Technique
Dimension
Object size: 128.5 x 72.5 x 0.3 cm
Accession No.
2019-00595
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift of the Lim Family in memory of Edna Chong Kim Neo
Flowers with a netted core and embroidered petals adorn the edges of this blue kebaya. The fabric is a delicate grid of dots and florets. It was possible by the 1920s to create elaborate lace-like patterns using sewing machines, which were widely available in the Malay Archipelago since the late 19th century. This was made by Chong Kim Neo (1916-1972), who made beaded slippers and garments from her home as she did not own a shop.
