A prominent figure in Singapore's Peranakan community, Mrs. Wee played a vital role in upholding her cultural legacy. She was most known for her culinary skills, exemplified by her revival of a forgotten traditional dish. Her rendition of sesagun, a mixture of grated coconut and toasted rice, was a highlight of the Singapore Peranakan Association’s 1998 fair. Many of Mrs. Wee’s Peranakan items can be found throughout this gallery – can you find her kueh dessert molds amongst her kitchenware?
Mrs. Wee’s cultural ambassadorship extended to her attire. Peranakan cut-glass beaded shoes like these, known as kasut manik, featured prominently in Mrs. Wee’s wardrobe, and were often paired with her many cheong sams. Kasut manik are a renowned craft of Peranakan women, known as Nyonyas; a top-quality pair of shoes can take multiple months of beading by hand to complete.
Dr. Wee’s mother was a craftswoman who sold kasut manik to support herself and her children, after her husband died when Dr. Wee was just ten years old. Dr. Wee Hong Neo spoke about one of her pairs of kasut manik shown here: “In this showcase, you will see a pair of kasut manik, It was sewn by his mother for his wedding. But she never saw him wear it because she died three months before his wedding. And the motif is of dogs, because my father was very fond of dogs, even at that age.” [1]