Rare talent: Lim posing with her creations at home in Penang. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: In the old days, a Nyonya girl who desired to get married had to possess not only the skills of cooking, cleaning and sewing, but also the abilities to crochet, knit and do embroidery.
But the most desirable skill was the ability to do beadwork, according to Peranakan artisan May Lim Seiw Seng.
According to a brochure by the Penang Heritage Trust (PHT), a prospective bride is expected to produce kasut manik (beaded shoes) to be presented as part of her wedding dowry.
Today, such shoes are highly-prized for their complexity of design.
Lim’s skills and contributions to the craft of nyonya beadwork were recognised by the PHT yesterday, and the 77-year-old joins a list of 16 Penangites who received a Living Heritage Treasures Award (LHTA) from the trust since 2004.
“I was drawn to beadwork from a young age after observing my grandaunt doing it. I would collect the beads she didn’t want and make bracelets for myself.
“I’m delighted that this artform has been recognised. It personifies Peranakan culture,” said Lim.
She often designs her shoes intuitively without drawing or tracing out patterns beforehand.
A pair could contain up to 19,000 beads and take her one-and-a-half months to complete.
“I’m proud of every piece I make,” she said when met after she received her award from state heritage commissioner Rosli Mohd Nor at the PHT office here yesterday.
Lim was born in Bayan Lepas but grew up in Jelutong. She worked in the education sector and had a stint in Kuala Lumpur before returning to Penang.
Her last posting was as principal of Convent Light Street before retiring in 1994.
Also present at the ceremony was PHT president Lim Gaik Siang, who said the award was to recognise the skills, knowledge and techniques of individuals like Lim, and to document and preserve these art forms and crafts.
They are nominated by the public and then selected by a panel of judges. Winners receive an annual stipend of RM2,000 for the remainder of their lives.
LHTA convenor Loh-Lim Lin Lee said heritage included not only grand old buildings, but also people whose skills and crafts exemplified the uniqueness of Penang.Some earlier award winners like Datuk Chuah Thean Teng (batik artist), Datuk Lim Bian Yam (chef, writer and floral designer), Mohd Bahroodin Ahmad (performing arts, cultural expert and educator), Yeap Seong Kee (kebaya designer), Lee Khek Hock (traditional lantern maker) and NB Samarasena (master jeweller) have since passed on.
Three others, Lee Beng Chuan (handmade joss-stick artisan), Kok Ah Wah (signboard carver) and Noo Wan@Wan Dee Aroonratana (Thai menora performer, cultural expert and shaman), passed away recently in December 2020, September 2022 and October 2022 respectively.
The surviving recipients are Ooi Sew Kim (Hokkien puppetry), aged 83; Toh Ai Wah (Teochew puppetry), 72; Sim Buck Teik (master rattan weaver), 94; Cecil Rajendra (poet and human rights activist), 82; Haja Mohideen Mohd Shariff (songkok artisan), 75; and Datuk Seri Dr Anwar Fazal (social and consumer activist), 82.
