Robert strained his beady eyes as he looked for the hole in the minuscule glass bead, his hands were like any other 70-year-old man, leathery and bony yet unlike other 70-year-old men, so precise and meticulous. He held on the fingertips of his calloused yet steady hands, a needle so small you would think you’d need a magnifying glass to see it.

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A pair of shoes worth over a thousand dollars, crafted over hundreds of hours, a mistake now could cost everything, but Robert continues to answer our questions with a calm tone and composure. After all, he has been doing this for over 18 years.

Robert Sng is one of the few remaining traditional Peranakan beaded shoemakers left in Singapore.

 

Once a symbol of womanhood worn daily by Peranakan women, Peranakan beaded shoes also known as Kasut Manek are now something worn only for special occasions and events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Made up of colourful glass beads just wider than a millimetre, put together with a needle and thread on a beading frame, called the Pinangan. and then placed onto a pair of wooden clogs, in the past, young Nyonyas had to learn the art of beading to showcase their meticulousness and patience. It was to show that the woman was a good prospect for marriage.

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Robert’s passion for beaded shoes stemmed from his childhood as well as his interest in handicraft. “When I was young, my neighbour made these shoes for a living, I have many memories of my younger self watching as she crafted shoes. Shortly before I retired I went looking for that very neighbour to learn how to create my own.”

Unfortunately, it was not always smooth sailing for Robert. “By the time I had gone looking for my neighbour, she was far too old to be able to teach me much. I had to search for other ways to learn.” 

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However, it may have been a blessing in disguise for Robert.  “While searching, I actually created my own method of beading. The traditional method of beading is extremely complicated. To make it easier for myself and others, I changed the sewing method slightly.”

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Retiring from being a flight attendant at age 52, he, along with his sister Irene, run a small two-storey shophouse aptly named “Little shophouse”, in the heart of Kampong Glam selling small antiquities alongside their beaded shoes, earning just enough for him to keep his passion alive.

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He said in a bittersweet tone, “I’m sorry to say, there is no money in this industry. I do it purely out of love for the craft. The small antiques in my store are what makes enough money for me to eat, beaded shoes do not make money. But it’s my hobby and passion and I have no intention of giving it up.”

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Although a single pair of shoes can cost upwards of a steep $700, prices like that do not allow Robert to make enough of a profit, with over a hundred hours a pair, he would make an average of $7 an hour and that is without factoring the cost of his imported materials to craft the shoes as well as the cost to put the design onto a pair. After all that, Robert still must look for someone willing to purchase the shoes.

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“Nowadays people prefer designer brands over these traditional shoes. They are more willing to spend money on the big brands which is normal because it’s the changing of the times. I have tried to modernise my craft and work with big brands, but it never really worked out.” Robert said when asked about modernisation.

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“Anything that is traditional is not easy to modernize if I modernize this thing for the sake of creating interest among the youth, it would defeat the purpose of the traditional style. If the younger people are interested in the shoes, it would not be necessary to modernise it.”  Robert believes the soul and value of the art is lost if it is modernised.

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When asked about passing the torch to future generations he said with a slight sense of sorrow, “In the past, parents would encourage their children to take over the business, but I don’t even want to encourage my daughter why would I encourage other people?”

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Robert left a rather pessimistic final message, “Traditional trade will not survive. If you have to pay rent it will not survive, I’m not giving it up but I’m going to move to a smaller studio to continue doing this and to teach”

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One of Robert’s students, Lee Boon Hwa, 49, shared the same views but believes there will be people passionate enough to continue to keep the art alive. “You will not survive working in traditional trades for a living. However, there will always be a small group who value and support the craft despite it all to keep it going.”

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Robert has since moved from his shophouse to a smaller shop located in The Golden Landmark shopping mall where he continues to craft shoes and conduct lessons for anyone willing to pick up the craft.