Title
Altar cloth
Year/Period
Late 19th-early 20th century
Region
Java
Dimension
Object size: L 103.4 x W 88.0
Accession No.
1997-04180
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Andy Ng
The end panel of the textile features three kylin (or ‘qilin’ in Chinese), mythical hoofed chimerical creatures believed to appear in conjunction with the arrival of a sage. Auspicious symbols such as the wheel of the law, butterfly and a pair of scrolls decorate the borders and end panel. Such motifs inspired by Chinese culture betray its Chinese Peranakan origin, particularly from north coast Java, where a style of batik incorporating Chinese motifs into the designs developed.
