Jewelry Born Of An Asian Fusion

Singapore - They may have grown rich trading in tin, but it was a different metal that showed off that wealth: gold. Peranakans — Straits-born Chinese — developed their own distinctive, hybrid culture, fusing their Chinese heritage with local Malay influences. This can be seen in the jewelry they wore as a symbol the family had arrived.

“Baba Bling, The Peranakans & Their Jewellery,” at the Peranakan Museum in Singapore through Dec. 13, celebrates the Peranakans` flamboyant style with more than 300 pieces of jewelry, many of which are treasured heirlooms on loan from families and private collectors. Indirectly, the exhibition also traces the fluctuating fortunes of the community from the mid-19th century to today.

“Jewelry is a reflection of Peranakans` beliefs and lifestyles, and it gives an insight into their rituals and customs,” said Kenson Kwok, director of the Asian Civilisations Museum here.

Peranakan jewelry — associated with the sparkling, bejeweled style of the late 19th to early 20th centuries, when the community`s fortunes were at a zenith — was mainly worn by women, or Nonyas. The men, or Babas, favored simple and functional items, like watches, buttons, chains and rings. Very few items prior to the late 19th century have survived, because most were incorporated into newer, more fashionable pieces. But the few on display show a simpler taste, with an emphasis on metalwork as opposed to gem stones.

This tendency to “upgrade” jewelry is best seen in the kerosang, the set of three jeweled brooches that Peranakan women use to fasten their tunics. By the turn of the 20th century, kerosang works were quite large and sported sizable diamonds. They were the most prominent piece of jewelry worn, with the best ones reserved for special occasions like weddings and birthdays. Today, however, it is rare to find complete sets of the brooches, as most have been either divided among family members or sold.

Highlights at the exhibition include 12 spectacular sets of kerosang from the late 19th century to World War II, including three designed for a period of mourning and characterized by the use of pearls (symbols of tears in Chinese culture) and silver. The gold and diamonds more typically favored on kerosang would have been considered disrespectful on such occasions, said Randall Ee, a museum curator and a Peranakan.

It was not just the kerosang that became more elaborate. Dainty rings and earrings set with intan (rose-cut diamonds of various quality) gave way to large diamond solitaires, sometimes with eight carats or more, while silver belts and buckles, usually hidden under clothing, were replaced with solid gold ones. (These easily portable forms of wealth would come in handy during World War II, when many Peranakan families had to abandon their homes.)

Peranakans profited under British colonial rule, and began to incorporate heraldic symbols like the lion and the unicorn from British coats of arms, Mr. Ee said. In the 1930s, necklaces, usually worn like chokers, became popular, probably the result of exposure to European styles of jewelry. But overall, the women continued to favor birds, flower, bees and butterflies, motifs associated with fertility and marital bliss in their culture.

World War II marked a turning point in the fortunes of the Peranakan community, as much of the wealth that was built up in the previous 50 years was wiped out. Pieces of jewelry and the gems that adorn them became noticeably smaller.

Today, on special occasions, many Peranakans still dress up in fine, colorful short tunics known as kebaya and display their jewelry. But few commission specific pieces as they would have done in the past. Sonia Kolesnikov Jessop

Source: http://www.nytimes.com (17 June 2009)
Photo: http://kerosang.tripod.com

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