Havin' His Hair Cut Diorama

Havin' His Hair Cut (2 November 2013)


Havin' His Hair Cut an adorable diorama celebrating the itinerant Indian barber. It shows a little boy having his hair cut while his stern-looking grandmother looked on while holding a cane. Judging from the backdrop, this is a scene in rural Penang, probably in a place like Sungai Ara or Permatang Damar Laut, before urbanization brought about a makeover. Despite the seemingly simple setting, there are details that catch the eye of the observant, such as, clumps of hair on the floor.

The cane was added to the sculpture at the suggestion of Mr Khoo Boo Hong, one of the partners in the museum, who remembered how little children disdained having their hair cut, and had to be compelled to sit through the exercise through punitive enforcement. The cane was quite recently added - it wasn't there when I took the shot on 2 November, but was already in the diorama two days later.

The Barber Diorama, viewed from a different angle (2 November 2013)


Close-up, Indian barber diorama (2 November 2013)

Made In Penang's Dioramas and Made In Penang Interactive Museum