Notes for peranakan museum project
3
Slide 2: Kamcheng A Kamcheng is used for: 1. In a baba’s wedding, the groom must take with him a kamcheng filled with red and white dumpling balls. Red represents jubilation while white means purity. The bride’s family will take out some of the dumpling balls and add in some rock sugar to show that they approve of the marriage. A couple who eats the dumpling balls from the kamcheng will never part. 2. Medium and large kamchengs were used as water containers(e.g. longan drink etc.), for serving rice, pickles, soup and other foods while miniature versions were reportedly used as containers for cosmetics The handle of the lid of the Kamcheng is in the shape of a Chinese mythical animal called the Qilin Kamcheng is hokkien for 感感(relationship) Slide 3 & 4: Beading and embroidery For the Nonyas, otherwise known as the young female Peranakans, the quality of her beadwork and embroidery is often regarded as a reflection of the quality of her upgrading. This is the case as a lot of patience and skills are required to bead and embroider. In a traditional Peranakan family, a Nonya would have been introduced to and trained in sewing, beadwork and embroidery from an early of twelve, before they get married. Likely, by the time that a Nonya is of a suitable age to get married, she would usually have perfected the skills of beadwork and embroidery. Look at the beaded shoes found in the photo above. These beaded slippers are known as kasut manek and are worn by Peranakan women as part of their traditional costume. Notice that similar to Malay designs, people are rarely depicted in most of the designs of the beadwork and embroidery. Most of the designs tend to be motifs of animals, phoenixes and flowers.
description
Transcript of Notes for peranakan museum project
Slide 2: Kamcheng
A Kamcheng is used for:
1. In a baba’s wedding, the groom must take with him a kamcheng filled with red and white dumpling balls. Red represents jubilation while white means purity. The bride’s family will take out some of the dumpling balls and add in some rock sugar to show that they approve of the marriage. A couple who eats the dumpling balls from the kamcheng will never part.
2. Medium and large kamchengs were used as water containers(e.g. longan drink etc.), for serving rice, pickles, soup and other foods while miniature versions were reportedly used as containers for cosmetics
The handle of the lid of the Kamcheng is in the shape of a Chinese mythical animal called the Qilin
Kamcheng is hokkien for 感情(relationship)
Slide 3 & 4: Beading and embroidery
For the Nonyas, otherwise known as the young female Peranakans, the quality of her beadwork and embroidery is often regarded as a reflection of the quality of her upgrading. This is the case as a lot of patience and skills are required to bead and embroider.
In a traditional Peranakan family, a Nonya would have been introduced to and trained in sewing, beadwork and embroidery from an early of twelve, before they get married. Likely, by the time that a Nonya is of a suitable age to get married, she would usually have perfected the skills of beadwork and embroidery.
Look at the beaded shoes found in the photo above. These beaded slippers are known as kasut manek and are worn by Peranakan women as part of their traditional costume. Notice that similar to Malay designs, people are rarely depicted in most of the designs of the beadwork and embroidery. Most of the designs tend to be motifs of animals, phoenixes and flowers.
In making the kasut manek (beaded slippers/ shoes), at the Kim Choo Kueh Chang - Gallery that usually either Rocaille seed beads or Charlotte seed beads would be used. The beads are sewn painstakingly by hand onto the cloth with the help of a wooden frame (also known as pidangan).
Slide 5: Sireh
The Ingredients are:
1) kapor (slacked lime)2) pinang (areca nut)3) gambai (gambier)4) tomaco (tobacco)
Nonyas mix it together and wrap these with the daun sireh (betel leaf).
Nonyas chew, not eat, the sireh and spit it out when the flavour is gone. Consuming can be lethal.
When you go to a nonya's house, she would offer you the sireh as a gesture of welcome. If you do not eat it, you would smile and just touch the sireh set and the nonya-host would know you do not want the sireh.
Sireh is like smoking cigarettes as it is very addictive.
It had a very strong odour like cigarette or pipe smoking or worse.
Users had to spit very often to get rid of the slimy stuff in their mouths and this became a nuisance and disgusting behavior and caused damage to floors and walls and were hard to wash off. They carried all the stuff in a small compact wooden box all nicely decorated. They also had to sling a cloth over their shoulders just in case they had to do the next cleaning job and wipe their faces.
The chewing caused their teeth to become red, brown and black and probably also caused a lot of decay leaving them to replace with gold teeth at that time.
Question 2:Describe two events/things which you think have the greatest impact on the history of Singapore
The founding of modern Singapore (1819-1826)
It played an important part in Singapore’s future.
When Raffles came to Singapore, he established a new British base in the region. He established a trading port from scratch and decided the outset from Singapore would be a free port.
The idea of having a free port attracted a lot of traders which aided in the development of Singapore.
Japanese Occupation of Singapore(1942-1945)
The occupation was to become a major turning point in the history of several nations. The war affected the people living in Singapore. Their movements were restricted and many innocent people were tortured. This resulted in people living in fear while being POW (prisoners of war).
Question 3
(1819-1826) Raffles Founding of modern singapore
The foundation of modern Singapore is at that time period which I might be able to see Stamford Raffles. Also, I want to be part of a historical moment. I would also want to witness it first-hand. Many people at that time come from other country to Singapore due to the free port. We would also get to see the way people lived in the 1820s.
