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Beadwork panel

Title

Beadwork panel

Year/Period

Early 20th century

Region

Penang

Technique

Beadwork and Embroidery

Dimension

Object size: 100 x 53 cm

Accession No.

2005-01295

Collection of

Asian Civilisations Museum

This beaded tablecloth would have been used as a decorative piece during festive occasions like a wedding. It consists of faceted glass beads stitched onto a cotton base. Faceted beads like these were imported from Europe, to create motifs of birds, animals and flowers that the Peranakan Chinese recognised as fertility symbols. A noteworthy feature is the geometric patterned background of the central portion, which would have been time-consuming to execute and would have tested the skills of the beadworker.