JEWELLERY AND ACCESSORIES

A well-to-do Nyonya would often have kerongsang (brooch), hairpins, earrings and rings as part of her ensemble. “The kerongsang is an indispensable piece of jewellery and is required functionally to pin up the kebaya’s front lapels. Unique features of Peranakan jewellery include Chinese-inspired floral and fauna designs,” Wong explains.

The curators at the Peranakan Museum share that a belt is used to secure the kain panjang (skirt cloth, pictured top) or sarong worn by Peranakan women to match their kebaya. More decorative versions were worn for special occasions, such as the Aceh-style panel belt (pictured above). Belt buckles often featured images of Chinese deities and mythical animals such as phoenixes and qilin, and would sometimes be set with diamonds.

Meanwhile, hairpins were worn by Peranakan women who tied up their long hair in a tightly coiled bun known as a sanggul. Ting explains, “The usual practice by Nyonyas in Malacca and Singapore was to use a set of three pins, and the hairstyle was referred to as sanggul tiga batang (three stick bun).”