This was recovered along with other miniature ceramic vessels, coins and jewellery from the grave of Mdm Lim Peck Neo 林壁娘, who was buried at Bukit Brown Cemetery. Her ancestral hometown was in Heshan 禾山, Xiamen (Amoy), Fujian province. She passed away in 1937 at the age of 84.The practice of burying everyday objects as well as more luxurious items with the deceased originated in ancient China and continued to be observed by overseas Chinese communities. These grave goods were intended to satisfy the needs of the deceased and/or provide them with a comfortable afterlife.Located in the central part of Singapore, Bukit Brown Cemetery was officially opened on 1 January 1922 by the British colonial government as a public cemetery for non-Christian Chinese. It came to house an estimated 100,000 graves before it was officially closed to burials in 1973.
