Object size: 12.0 x 37.0 x 5.5 cm
This mask marks a COVID-19 trend of matching masks with an outfit, in this case the kebaya – a traditional top favoured by Peranakan and Malay ladies of island Southeast Asia that continues to be popular today. In mid-2020, Singaporean Peranakan Chinese designer Raymond Wong received numerous requests for this goldfish mask after it went on national TV. A symbol of abundance and good luck in Peranakan and Chinese culture, the goldfish embroidery became his signature motif of the year. Raymond Wong is known in Singapore for creating Peranakan-style kebayas and shoes which demonstrate Peranakan beadwork and embroidery traditions. Peranakans are mixed communities that trace their ancestries to immigrants that married locals in island Southeast Asia and developed a distinctive, hybrid culture. Singaporean Peranakan Raymond Wong is a self-taught designer who has organised Peranakan fashion runway shows abroad and taught Peranakan beadwork and embroidery at schools in Singapore. Notable local women he dressed include former first lady Mary Chee Bee Kiang and actress Koh Chieng Mun.
