This group of three ceremonial spears belong to the Kheng Chiu Tin Hou Kong temple (琼州天后宫). The longest and second-longest spears have similar designs, featuring a spearhead coming out of a sea dragon’s mouth. The shortest spear features a Chinese calligraphy brush. Such spears were used during the yearly street procession by the temple for Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea. The longest spear bears the inscription “琼州会馆, 天后元君, 羊城天平街钜成造” (Kheng Chiu Hwee Kuan, Empress of Heaven (another title of Mazu), made at Tian Ping Street, Yangcheng [Guangzhou]. It was likely that the other two spears were also made in Guangzhou.Founded in 1854 by Hainanese clansmen, the temple and the Kheng Chiu Hwee Kuan (琼州会馆) occupied the same premises at Malabar Street until 1879 where they both moved to 47 Beach Road. The current clan association, renamed Singapore Hainan Hwee Kuan in 1994, is still located at Beach Road.
