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Tradition
Poh Choo's wedding
To fetch the bride |
| A chin chuey wedding (9) "Now, take a good look at yourself," said the Mistress of Ceremonies. What a transformation! She had become a princess, a stately, beautiful princess. BEFORE DAWN, all the womenfolk in the house had awakened. Meh Ah Lian, the sarng-keh-myn and the widow's aunts had brought changes of clothing for their overnight stay and the next day. By six, they had washed and dressed and were ready for breakfast. The widow and her two younger daughters had prepared everything: hot black coffee, freshly cooked rice, ard-chat-awak, ard-chat fish and prawn and khong-ah-sum. This last item, a potpourri, the nyonya's version of chop-suey, consisting of the leftovers of chicken, duck, pork, abalone and vegetable dishes, all lumped together and cooked in a large earthen pot, with the addition of kai-choy (a mustard green), cabbage, some raw spices, sugar, salt and a few slices of asam (a tropical sour fruit). Everyone enjoyed the breakfast, especially the khong-ah-sum, which was very well done. At about 7.15, the cake-makers came in two rickshaws, with two huge siar-nah, each with four tiers, each tier filled with one type of nyonya cakes. (A siar-nah is a lacquered basket, made of finely-slit bamboo, closely interwoven and usually painted red, with black or dark-brown bands carrying intricate designs in gold on them. It could be of any size and was used on festive occasions to convey presents, gifts or cakes.) After depositing the cakes, the cake-makers with a third but smaller siar-nah went to the bridegroom's place to deliver the cakes ordered by Lim Ah Keow. He did not place a big order as an Indian confectionery that specialised in English and French wedding cakes had presented him with two twelve-pound cakes, one English and the other French. In both households, a good part of the morning was spent by the ladies, laying out the cakes on patek plates, and getting Chinese tea and a variety of soft drinks ready for guests and friends who would take part in the processions that morning. At about eight, the sarng-keh-myn started to dress up the bride in the bridal chamber. Poh Sim had not removed the white dress she wore for the hair-combing ceremony. First attention was given to the bride's coiffure. Her hair was anointed with a little scented oil and combed and waxed with phow-fah (a colourless, sticky, cream fluid). The last one and a half feet of the bride's hair was rolled into the shape of a small rope with a tapering end and was coiled on the top of her head, and held together with five diamond-embedded gold pins of different lengths. The rest of the hair was combed and fashioned into the shape of a sitting duck with its tail up. The phow-fah, acting as a fixative, was slightly smeared onto both sides of this sitting duck with a small black brush, and the finishing touches were done with some deft handling of the comb. The dressing of the hair took forty-five minutes. After this, the bride's face was smoothly powdered with a cake of fragrant Javanese face-powder, her cheeks were rouged pink, and the neck, arms and hands were then powdered. The eyebrows were darkened with a charcoal pencil and the lips were evenly reddened by rubbing rouge-paper on them. A porous straw blouse which went slightly below the knees was now worn. This was to prevent the heavy ceremonial dress getting soiled by excessive perspiration. Then was worn the richly-embroidered silk skirt which reached down to the ankles. This skirt was held in place by red silk tapes tied at each side of the waist. After this, the heavy brocaded jacket with long and very broad sleeves. The jacket was embellished with birds among peonies embroidered with gold, silver, red and yellow thread, and it reached down slightly below the knees. Over the jacket was worn a cape which consisted of leaf-shaped pieces of satin sewn all over it to represent the neck feathers of the phoenix. The cape covered her shoulders and breasts and was fastened at the nape of her neck. When the bride was seated on a low stool, the kooi, the elaborately-ornamented headgear with a veil of tiny glass-beads and imitation pearls, was carefully put into position and fastened on her head with silken tapes tied at the back of her neck, without interfering with her coiffure. The kooi was patterned after the style of headgear worn by Manchu princesses, and it had two long red silk tassels, each tassel falling over a shoulder and resting on the cape. Then rose-coloured socks were slipped on the bride's feet which were shod with velvet shoes embellished with a gold and silver design. Each shoe had a thin strap over the arch of the foot to give it a tighter fit. Now came the jewellery to complete the bride's adornment. These consisted of ten gold necklaces, six heavy ones of pure gold and four lighter ones; a pair of leaf-shaped diamond earrings; four diamond rings on the fingers of each hand; three gold bracelets of different designs, one with jade insets on each wrist and two chiselled gold anklets around each ankle. Only one quarter of these articles belonged to our widow - the rest were borrowed from Meh Ah Lian, the two aunts, and two other close friends. The bride having been dressed up with all her finery was led by the sarng-keh-myn to the tall mirror of the clothes almeirah and was told to clasp her hands in front of her. "Now, take a good look at yourself," said the Mistress of Ceremonies. Looking through her veil, Poh Sim was amazed and for a moment or two was not sure whether it was indeed herself she was looking at. What a transformation! She had become a princess, a stately, beautiful princess. She was glad but did not show it openly. There was only a faint smile on her red lips. Her mother was jubilant and nodded to the sarng-keh-myn to signify her satisfaction with the latter's efforts. The sarng-keh-myn spent the next hour teaching the bride to walk forwards and backwards with slow, short steps, always concentrating on the floor in front of her. She also taught Poh Sim how to get down on her knees when she, the Mistress of Ceremonies, spread out the bottom portion of her skirt, and how to hold her hands when she stretched them out to assist her to get up. After this, Poh Sim was seated comfortably on a chair, and to make her feel relaxed, a small bridesmaid, dressed in ceremonial garb, was taught how to fan the bride with a large feather-fan. She was also instructed on what she had to do during the ceremonies. A little later, the Mistress of Ceremonies gave the bride last minute instructions on what she had to do on meeting the bridegroom for the first time and what to do at the tea-serving ceremonies, both in her own home and in the bridegroom's house. She also whispered to the bride some confidential tips on what she could expect on the wedding night. * * * * A procession of that sort in the forenoon could mean only one thing, that the bridegroom was on his way to fetch the bride. THE TIME was already 9.30 a.m. when the sarng-keh-myn left for Lim Ah Keow's house in a chauffeur-driven car provided by Lim and placed at her disposal that day and night. She wanted to make sure that everything was ready at the bridegroom's end for the day's ceremonies. Arriving at the place, the sarng-keh-myn was pleased to note that a red well-polished and decorated car was waiting at the front of the house. Lim Ah Keow had the choice of two forms of transport to convey the bridegroom and his bride. A wealthy merchant had offered him the use of his horse carriage; another client, a tin miner who had just bought an Overland Whippet, offered his car. Lim chose the latter for he saw at once that it would be far easier for the heavily-accoutred couple to get in and out of a car. Moreover, it was easier to do up a car than a horse carriage for the procession. The car was decorated with pink and red silk ribbons, with a large bouquet of artificial silk flowers tied to the front of the bonnet. Just a few years ago, the bridegroom and the bride were carried in separate sedan chairs and Lim Ah Keow marvelled at the speed of social changes that had taken place. The sarng-keh-myn also noticed the traditional red cloth and tapestry over the doorway. She saw some musicians and lantern and banner carriers, smoking and loitering about the five-foot-way of the adjoining houses. Lim's residence was in a row of houses specially built as private dwellings and it was about a mile away from the bride's place. On entering the house, she was received by Lim Ah Keow and was also greeted by Ah Phin and his aunts. The bridegroom holding a folded ivory fan in one hand, looked like a young mandarin in traditional garb, cut and sewn by a tailor with better material than the type provided by the sarng-keh-myn. The Mistress of Ceremonies was satisfied that he was properly accoutred. On his left breast was pinned a beautiful silk rosette with ribbons, specially made for him by the bride. The best man was also supplied with a set of garments but he preferred his own modern outfit, and he appeared smart in a light brown tweed suit, with a corsage of fresh orchids on the left lapel. He wore a matching chequered tie and dark-brown leather shoes. About a score of young men dressed in jackets and ties (that being the fashion among English-educated men when they attended functions) were in the inner hall enjoying the cakes and drinks. They were a noisy group, chatting, cracking jokes and laughing loudly. As everything was ready at this end, the sarng-keh-myn left to return to the widow's house, having arranged with Lim Ah Keow that the procession to the bride's place should start exactly half an hour later. So, at 10.30 a.m., two of Lim's friends who were in charge of the procession, assembled the musicians and the lantern and banner carriers. At the head of the procession were two large red lanterns, one with the family name of CHIN painted on it, and the other bearing the family name of LIM. Each lantern was fastened to a slender cylindrical pole which went through it at the centre, and was held aloft by a lantern bearer. Between these two lanterns (one on each side of the road) was carried a twelve-by-two feet banner with the figures of the gods of Prosperity, Happiness and Longevity embroidered on it with gold and silver thread. This banner was attached to two bamboo poles and was held up by two men, each holding one of the poles and walking alongside a lantern bearer. Behind this banner were the musicians: the oboe blowers, those who beat the large and small gongs, the one who clashed the cymbals, the fiddlers, the flutists and the woodblock striker. When they were all in their places, the bridegroom and the best man got into the back seat of the car, which had its canvas hood on. The bridegroom's friends, some twenty-five of them, acting as his 'bodyguards', took up their places, some in front of the car and others flanking both sides of the vehicle. At a given signal, the music started and the procession proceeded at a slow walk to the bride's place. There was very little traffic and no interference of any kind by pedestrians and other users of the thoroughfare. As the procession moved on, people on the five-footways on both sides of the street took a good look at the bridegroom and his entourage. And when the procession passed by residential homes, the unmarried girls in each household, who had rushed to the latticed windows upstairs, were filled with excitement as they strained their eyes to catch a glimpse of the occupants in the decorated car, hoping to see the bridegroom and his best man. A procession of that sort in the forenoon could mean only one thing, that the bridegroom was on his way to fetch the bride.# |
| (To be continued) Ninth extract from Chin Kee Onn's "Twilight of the Nyonyas" - A chin chuey marriage in Ipoh Previous installment |
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