IDNO

N.54724.ELT

Description

Spirit-medium performance outside a Chinese temple in Paya Lebar, Singapore. A young man wearing a white vest and trousers sits on a "spike chair" holding a bowl to his lips. Two older men assist, one holding a spike piercing his lip. A large crowd watches. [GO 17/08/2022].

Place

SE Asia; Singapore; Paya Lebar [6th Milestone]

Cultural Affliation

Chinese

Named Person

Photographer

None

Collector / Expedition

Elliott, Alan J.A.

Date

1950 - 1951

Collection Name

Elliott Collection

Source

Elliott, Alan J. A.

Format

Film Negative Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

N.54648.ELT to N.54752.ELT were found inside the album now numbered A.161.ELT.

The index pages of the negative album provide descriptions of some of the images. These have been transcribed.

Publication: Image published in a Digital Lab Online Exhibition by Gemma Ovens, 2024. 'Chinese Spirit-Medium Possession: Exploring Ritual and Religion in the Photographic Archives of Alan J. A. Elliott' and captioned "Sitting on a ‘spike-chair’, the tang-ki holds a cup to collect blood as an assistant helps pierce his tongue. MAA N.54724.ELT." [source: https://www.museums.cam.ac.uk/story/chinese-spirit-medium-possession-singapore/, JD 12/02/2025]