KiSS Me In The RaiN....

The Chinese Peranakans Continues

Peranakan Cina, are known, among other things, for their penchant for beautiful things.

Examine a piece of antique Nyonya jewellery up close, and you will first notice a proliferation of detail - every space on the jewel will be filled with designs and motifs, sometimes almost to the point of chaos. Great skill in craftsmanship is necessary to achieve the intricacy required to fulfil this Baba ideal of halus or fineness, and to the Straits Chinese, the best objects were those displaying the craftsman's talent in miniaturisation and detail. What it boils down to is that their brand of aesthetics can be described as the direct opposite of that of the minimalist school of thought.

This love for detail also applies to traditional Nyonya attire - particularly the kebaya. Nyonya dress evolved over time from its early days as the long, loose fitting and rather staid baju panjang, worn with a kain chaylay sarong, to the elegant, form-fitting baju kebaya and its batik sarong.