Passing on the legacy: Preserving the Nyonya ‘manik’ shoe heritage one bead at a time in George Town
GEORGE TOWN, Oct 4 — One of the earliest memories that fourth generation Nyonya, May Lim Siew Seng, had was being asked to help her aunts to separate colourful manik (beads) according to shape, size and colour.
A young Lim would often have to sit with her aunts as they sewed minuscule beads onto swatches of cloth, helping them thread the needle and select the manik.
She would then receive extra manik as ‘payment’ for her help, using them to make her own bracelets and rings.
“I would wear these colourful bracelets proudly, showing off how pretty they were to my friends,” she said.
These were some of the early experiences Lim had with Nyonya manik shoe beading, though she was not taught to make beaded shoes at that time.
Instead, she, and her four sisters, were strictly trained to cook and embroider by their mother as it was a requirement for Nyonyas to be able to cook and sew embroidery at that time.
“We were taught to make nasi ulam, how to slice and cut the ulam and mix it into our rice, as that was what we eat daily and till today, I still eat homemade nasi ulam every day,” she said.
Lim went on to become a teacher after finishing school and did not pick up manik craft until she retired as a principal of Convent Light Street.
“I had a lot of time after retirement and in 1992, Kee Phaik Cheen approached me to teach single mothers how to make patchwork and blankets so that they could earn some side income,” she said.
The late Datuk Kee Phaik Cheen was the Penang executive councillor for tourism, arts and culture at that time.
From there, Lim started thinking of other crafts to teach and that was when she decided to teach Nyonya manik craft. She also started making Nyonya beaded shoes herself.
When Penang Heritage Trust started its apprenticeship programme for traditional trades in 2008, Lim was among the first to sign up.
“I wanted to teach people manik craft because I don’t want this to disappear,” she said.
The 80-year-old believes in sharing her skills, so she taught apprentices for nine years under the PHT Penang Apprenticeship Programme for Artisans (PAPA), until the programme ended after funding ran dry and fewer artisans participated in it.
Since then, Lim continues to teach in various events, workshops and programmes with schools.
“The traditional pattern for Nyonya beaded shoes was difficult due to the shape, so I came up with a simpler and smaller pattern that is more appealing for the younger generation too,” she said.
She introduced a 4cm by 6cm pattern with modern designs that could be made into high heeled sandals to attract younger people.
“It worked because the designs looked modern and they liked it,” she said.
Once, she participated in a workshop for a boys’ school, so to gain the interest of the male students, she came up with a design to sew beads into alphabets on caps.
“My stall had the longest queue because the boys thought it was interesting,” she said.
Today, Lim is still teaching manik shoe beading classes in the mornings on weekdays at the State Chinese Penang Association premises in Perak Road.
Students will have to learn three levels of beading skills: the first to sew beads onto a straight simple design and once they get this right, they can move on to level two, which is to learn to select the different shapes of beads to sew beads onto a curved pattern.
“Once they pass level two, they can progress to level three which is to sew the traditional Nyonya beaded shoe pattern,” she said.
Lim charges only a minimal fee for students to learn from her and the fees collected were donated.
“I have my pension to live on so the fees I make from teaching are donated and I only select small charities that people don’t know about as these are the places that have the least donations,” she said.
She said she would continue to teach as long as possible.
“As long as I am alive, I will continue to teach, anyone can sign up to learn from me,” she said.
Those who wish to learn Nyonya manik shoe beading from Lim can call the State Chinese Penang Association at 04-226 9560 for more information.
[Source: Malay Mail]
