This wooden mould was used to make small pastries and the mould features Chinese coin motifs and Chinese characters “Nan Tian” (南天). This mould was likely used at the popular Nam Tin Restaurant (南天酒楼) located at the Great Southern Hotel.Located at the junction of Eu Tong Sen Street and Cross Street, the Great Southern Hotel began operations in 1927 and was the first Chinese hotel in Singapore with a lift. The hotel was known as the “Raffles Hotel of Chinatown” and its guests included many celebrities from China and Hong Kong.
