Title
Tan Ban Cheong Goldsmith receipt
Year/Period
1968
Object Type
Material
Technique
Dimension
Image size: 13.8 x 20.6 cm
Accession No.
2020-00069
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift of Low family in memory of their late mother Mrs Low Guat Hiong
This is a receipt from Tan Ban Cheong Goldsmiths for the jewellery gifts received by Lee Guat Hiong at her wedding in 1968. Gold, a symbol of wealth, nobility, and good luck for Chinese people, has customarily been given at weddings and other celebratory occasions. In the 1950s in Singapore, there were more than 20 goldsmith shops established by the Cantonese along South Bridge Road. Many opened early in the 20th century. A cartoon of the figure of cupid sits the right corner of the receipt, with the bow and arrow usually held in his hands set aside for a gleaming ring, possibly suggesting that a sophisticated piece of jewellery is the true way to capture someone’s heart.
