This is a tin ore, it’s tin from Ipoh. It’s black, made into a pendant and used to ward off evil spirits. It was given to me by an aunt so I had it set in gold to wear as a pendant on a chain because we never wore it, it was always kept.

This piece of clothing is worn on the third day of weddings. It was bought from Hong Kong, for wearing on the third day before going home. My mother was born in China, my father was born in China. They had us after they came to Singapore. I got married in 1959. Before I got married, we had to wear the kua. It was fashion then. We follow tradition so we wear the kua.

This diamond necklace was passed down from my great grandmother. It went through a few generations before it reached me. This is made with intan diamonds and has the craftwork of that period.

This ring was from my Peranakan aunt. It was my aunt’s mum’s. My aunt by now would be 100 years old already. She died at 80 plus.

My late grandmother, Mrs Kay Szto (Yap Kang Tee) was born in Klang, Malaysia, on 10 May 1919, and lived there till she was in her twenties. Her family owned a business called Hock Ban Seong, which sold car batteries, tyres, petrol and shoes. Because her father believed in the importance of education, my grandmother attended a convent school when schooling was not that common for the girls during that time.

She had met my late grandfather before that when she came to Singapore to meet a childhood friend. This was in 1939, before the war. She returned to Klang to teach after that, and in 1941, the Japanese invaded Malaysia. In 1942, when the Japanese invaded Singapore, my grandfather managed to escape up to Malaysia by train. He later managed to link up with my grandmother in Klang and they decided to get married. They were married on 30 April 1944. After the Japanese occupation, my grandfather came back to Singapore, and my grandmother joined him some months later.

In 1949, my grandmother became a Christian. The gold ring was probably bought in the 1950s when she was baptised and took the name Kay.

My grandmother loved gardening and especially loved orchids.

This cheongsam is a looser fit than her form fitting ones of her younger years, and she wore less cheongsams and more blouse and pants combis in the 1970s to 80s.

In 1994, my grandparents celebrated their Golden Anniversary and chose to renew their vows in their church, Bethesda Frankel Estate Church. Grandma tailored this gold cheongsam for the occasion.

My grandmother passed away on 29 October 2020, peacefully in her sleep, after a long bout of illness. She was 101 years old. She leaves behind 4 children, 6 grand children and 6 great grandchildren.

This is a hairpin. It belonged to my great grandmother, my mother's mother. My grandmother was from China then she married to Malaysia. I think my mother she born in Malaysia, my father also born in Malaysia. When Singapore independence that time you need to choose where you want to go Malaysia or Singapore so my father and my mother choose Singapore.

This one is when I young, so my mum bought for us. So when I young, every time Chinese New Year I would wear it only, only Chinese New Year.

This is from my mother-in-law. I think I remember that she was saying that it’s from my husband’s grandmother. She passed it to me when is very young, she cannot remember how old. Young that time, then I think I fall down. Then after that I never wear already.

This is also from my mother-in-law. She gave it to me for my children. It’s a very small size for children. It may have been broken before that’s why they put the gold things here. She gave it to me for my daughters to wear but they never wore it growing up. Because it’s jade... and children very dangerous.

My mother-in-law had a lot of jewellery. Because my mother-in-law father, he know how to make gold, in Malaysia that time. That’s why she has an appreciation for jewellery.

She said she very poor. Her father study quite educated, I think to university I remembered, but they’re poor. So my mother-in-law when she married that time, no jewellery. You know Chinese when you married then you have the si dian jin, but she don’t have. Then she only have a box, I remember a box and I think a coin, then she married to my father-in-law.

My aunt gifted this to me when she was 89 years old. She had cancer and maybe was thinking she would not live very long and she passed some of her jewellery to me. She bought them herself. She loved jewellery, diamonds and jade. And although she was only a seamstress she was very frugal, saved money and her treats were jewellery.

This was my mother’s sleepwear. We bought this in the 60s or 70s in Chinatown. Now I wear it.

This jade pendant was given to my mother. It belonged to her aunt, my grandaunt, and it’s now with me.

This is a tiger's tooth. Become strong and fierce. I mean fearless la, you know no need to get frightened easily and all that that's what they believe la. My dad bought for my son.

This cheongsam ah, I think I sewed it in the 1970s, around 1978 around that time. And I have a friend who is a tailor so she actually did the measurement for me, my measurement. And then she drafted out in paper, the some kind of a standard, you know, the pattern. So all I need to do is to put the pattern onto the material and follow the lines to cut the cloth, and make the markings for the darts and all that, so I sewed this.

And these buttons, at that time Chinese buttons were very common, I could get it anywhere especially in Chinatown. It seems that now it's very hard to find. I wear this usually for formal occasion like a wedding. Because a cheongsam ah, is always appropriate for any occasion, whether it is formal or informal. I can't remember where I bought the fabric, because I go shopping anywhere. In fact in those days in the 70s you can buy things from the neighbourhood shops, even in the markets! Textiles in the markets. I mean the wet markets themselves you know. And some of them they have what you call the Sunday market. They only come on Sunday, set up stores there. And that's how they sell and it's very convenient ah.

This one is a samfu, I also sewed it myself using the pattern that my friend drafted out for me.

My mother passed this to me when she was almost 80 years old. It was left to her by her mother.

This one my sister. She’s 75 this year. She died in 1993 ah? Going to be 30 years. This one my sister.

For most of the jewellery that my mother has, my grandma from my dad side passed it down to her so it’s her mother-in-law. She passed it on to her maybe right before she passed on. My dad said she passed on in 1981. Most of them were bought by my grandfather, her husband. She wore it only during festivals, parties, weddings. My mother doesn’t wear at all because she isn’t interested! So from what I know, my grandma is quiet but also a fussy person, I quote my mum saying “nyonya and babas are generally quite fussy about their food and dressing”.

This kebaya and kerosang was passed down to me from my Peranakan grandmother.

These are from my maternal grandmother. She passed it to my mother to pass on to me later.

This cheongsam is a homemade one. It’s a printed polyester fabric, and doesn’t have any traditional frog buttons, embroidery, or piping details. I kept it mainly because it’s what my grandma wore to my parents’ wedding.

This cheongsam was one of many that belonged to Tay Swee Chian, the wife of Aw Cheng Chye of the Tiger Balm family. She wore them often at many high profile events and functions. They were passed down to me after she departed in 2009.

My mum she didn't go to school during her younger days as there are a lot of siblings in her family. She only knows how to write her Chinese name. But she is a amazing woman whom learnt cooking on her own, self taught. And she married my dad who is a university graduate, super amazing pair with so extreme education level. But my mum did a lot for our family, she ever being a hawker before selling nasi lemak when my dad got retrenched... I respect her. She will go out with her friends but when she will also come back home to cook for us almost every meal everyday.

This bangle, I remember she wore it in her younger days maybe in her 30s... She is now in her 70s. She pass it to me but I have not wore it yet. My mum loves to buy jewelleries in her younger days, diamonds, pendants and gold bangles. I am her only daughter... if I tell her I want and it’s beautiful, she will give it to me. I am the type who loves retro and antique items. I felt is very unqiue and will ask my mum to give it to me.

I made this cheongsam myself years ago with fabric I bought from Shanghai. When I was younger my mother would buy samfu and cheongsam and take it apart for me to learn how to sew. I made all the clothes for my family.

This was given to me by my sister-in-law.

My mother gave me this for my wedding. It’s supposed to be the wedding bride’s dowry. Because for Peranakan, they will give dowry so normally they will give a silver belt. I’m not Peranakan but because my mother is staying in a kampong and the sister-in-law is Peranakan, so don’t know why she follow this tradition.

My mother stays in a kampong and then the sister-in-law was Peranakan that's why they have the influence of the sister-in-law. They stayed in Pulau Brani. Two sisters-in-law are Peranakan so they wear the sarong kebaya and all that so they follow along.

I don't know if this is also Peranakan but my mother gave me for my wedding. Nowadays rings you see is all rounded, don't have this kind of design. I think is very Peranakan.

This is for babies. When the child is born, they’ll give things. One month, man yue, then they will give this for the kid. They’ll give for the child to wear. Man yue celebrations they will decorate the child.

This got the lock on it, they say lock the child up.

CATHERINE’S PALACE