This amulet is made of gilt silver and tiger's claw. It is known as kuku harimo tangkal. Kuku is the Malay word for 'claw', harimo is the Baba Malay word for 'tiger' and tangkal is the Malay word for 'amulet'. In the early 20th century, mortality rates were high and the Peranakans believed that amulets could ward off the 'unclean' things that caused the illnesses. Some believed that amulets should be worn when one had to leave the house as the wearer was no longer under the protection of the house's guardian deities.
