Altar cloth: Lion and phoenixes

This red and cream altar cloth depicts a lion surround by phoenixes and a variety of auspicious motifs on the lower panel.Birds and flowers decorate the upper panel of the cloth. Intertwined leaves are depicted running along the borders of the cloth with small white rosettes filling the background of the borders, known in batik terminology as isen. Altar cloths are textiles which are hung on the front of Chinese altars during ceremonial occasions. Batik versions of the cloths such as this were produced and found primarily in Java, Indonesia.

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