This pair of chopstick rests comes with a matching pair of spoon rests. They are embroidered with Chinese auspicious motifs of the phoenix and peony. The phoenix is a mythical long tailed bird that symbolises beauty, grace, high virtue, the bride and the Empress while the peony symbolises spring, love, beauty and good fortune. Two sections of each chopstick rest are decorated in a grid format, sequins and swastika sewn within each square. The swastika, also known as banji in Baba Malay, is a Buddhist symbol used in Peranakan art to denote good luck and well-being.This matching set of chopstick rests and spoon rests was made using satin stitch, where stitches of varying lengths are densely sewn onto the base. Cardboard or layers of paper were sometimes pasted with starch to the reverse of the embroidered objects as interlining and to help the objects maintain their shape and durability. Satin stitches are then deftly employed over raised cardboard cut-outs for added textural relief and to give a satin-like sheen.For the Peranakans, chopsticks and spoons were usually used for ceremonies and rituals during festive occasions like weddings.
