Blue and white spoon with goldfish and foliate design

Title
Blue and white spoon with goldfish and foliate design
Year/Period
Late 19th or early 20th century
Region
China
Dimension
Object size: 4.5 x 4.7 x 12.4 cm
Accession No.
2021-00709
Collection of

This blue and white spoon is decorated with a goldfish and foliate design. This type of porcelain was generally used by the Peranakan community for ancestral worship and for daily use. The colour blue was regarded as a substitute for black, the colour of mourning.This artefact belonged to Mdm Lim Yeok Quan (1887-1958), wife of Mr Ong Peng Hock (1889-1968) who was the son of notable Peranakan businessman Ong Sam Leong (1857-1918). Mr and Mrs Ong Peng Hock lived at Christmas Island Villa, 47 Marine Parade Road, Singapore where this item was used for ritual purposes on the family altar and for family meals on sombre occasions.