Title
Pillow used by Toh Gek Eng (1891-1980)
Year/Period
20th century
Region
Aceh, Indonesia
Object Type
Material
Dimension
Object size: 6.0 x 14.5 x 12.5 cm
Accession No.
2022-00813
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift of Kadjin (K.J.) Low
This pillow is decorated with auspicious Chinese symbols such as plum blossoms, bats, and lions. Double-coin shaped perforated openings are on four sides of the pillow. As a headrest, this object allowed women to keep elaborate hairstyles in place. This pillow 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.
