A Great Emporium

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https://goo.gl/maps/tBRNz18rMC4QPe6SA 📍 [Singapore, Singapore](https://scaniver.se/L1.28719,103.85258) "Early trade was in silk, cotton, spices and other exotic commodities. In the late 19th century, this shifted to rubber, tin and copra. European traders, like those here, profited from Singapore's trade but it was the Chinese traders, like the towkay holding an abacus, who generated the most wealth." "Providing much needed labour to the trading industry were Chinese and Indian coolies. Chinese coolies came from southeastern provinces of China, while Indian coolies hailed from South India. The Chinese coolies and towkay in the sculpture are indentified by their queue, or pigtail, which the Qing authorities required all Chinese then to wear. When the Qing dynasty ended in 1912, queues were done away with. The Indian coolie wears the customary turban. Life as a coolie was difficult." Source: Objaverse 1.0 / Sketchfab