Title
Belt and belt buckle worn by Toh Gek Eng (1891-1980)
Year/Period
20th century
Region
Aceh, Indonesia
Object Type
Material
Technique
Dimension
Object size: 95.0 x 4.0 x 0.8 cm
Accession No.
2022-00811
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift of Kadjin (K.J.) Low
The ogival-shaped belt buckle is decorated with a rooster and peony flower among foliage. Ornaments like kerosang (blouse fasteners) and belts allude to the symbiotic relationship between jewellery and dress. While the kerosang was used to fasten the front of a blouse, belts secured skirt cloths around the waist.This belt belonged to Toh Gek Eng (1891-1980), a Peranakan woman from Pangkalan Brandan, North Sumatra. Together with her husband, Low Soek Bie (1872?-1937), who established Low Guan Bie, a rubber, rice and timber mill company, they had 14 children and lived in Kuala Simpang, Aceh. Today, Toh and her husband’s ashes are housed in the Vihara Buddha Murni Temple in Medan, Indonesia.
