Kelantanese Lady, circa 1910

Half-length portrait of Sharifah, a woman in Kelantan, who smiles widely for the camera. It intrigued us to see her teeth, which has gone through berdabung or berasah gigi, which refers to a tooth filing ceremony, which was part of Malay wedding tradition from the olden days of berandam, berasah gigi dan berlimau. Her hair is tied in a neat bun, and she wears a cotton baju kurung, a loose tunic, with leafy motifs and a striped selendang around her neck.

Photographer: Gimlette, John Desmond

Source: Skeat, Walter William Collection from the Museum of Archeology & Anthropology, University of Cambridge.

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