Title
Unsewn slipper faces
Year/Period
late 19th to 20th century
Region
Singapore
Object Type
Material
Technique
Dimension
Object size: Please refer to parts
Accession No.
2018-01335
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 pair of unsewn slipper faces contains a goldfish (symbol of abundance and wealth) as its central decorative motif, embroidered on a metallic blue background with a multi-coloured border on one edge. 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.
