Title
Unsewn slipper faces
Year/Period
late 19th to 20th century
Region
Singapore
Object Type
Material
Technique
Dimension
Object size: 24.3 x 18.7 cm
Accession No.
2018-01334
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift of Cynthia, Larry, Celia, Carol and Lawrence Chia, in memory of their parents Chia Teck Loke and Ong Siew Choo.
This slipper template on a white cloth has two identical patterns of a slipper face sewn onto it. Multi-coloured beads of green, yellow, pink and blue were woven to form the shape of a bird against a diagonal pattern of repeating squares. The slipper faces would have been sent to Chinese shoemakers to be cut out from the frame and made into the final product. This object belonged to Wee Bee Neo, a prominent Sang Khek Umm or mistress of wedding ceremonies. As a wedding specialist, she was in charge of the bride’s hair and jewellery, and guiding the young lady through the proper rituals.
