Cabinet

Elaborately carved and gilded wooden furniture lacquered a red or reddish-brown hue (a style of furniture termed by collectors or connoisseurs as 'red and gold') often formed part of the wedding trousseau of Chinese Peranakan brides. This two-tiered cabinet was gifted to Mdm Chia Siew Chwee (1893-1973) upon her marriage to Mr Lim Eng Kiong in 1916. After their wedding the cabinet stood in the bedroom of their marital home at No. 40 Blair Road, Singapore, and was used as a wardrobe to store clothing. As with many pieces of furniture found in Peranakan homes, this cabinet combines Chinese influences with European. The carvings on both the upper and lower tiers reflect a Chinese influence in the use of gilding. The lower section features three drawers and four doors carved with floral and foliate motifs, each door topped with a pair of bats - symbolising good luck and prosperity in Chinese culture. The upper section has four cabinet doors fitted with glass panes in a geometric pattern, a style reminiscent of English cabinetry of the 18th and 19th centuries.