Title
Embroidered panel
Year/Period
Late 19th or early 20th century
Region
Penang
Object Type
Material
Technique
Dimension
Object size: 34.2 x 49.0 cm
Accession No.
2021-00018
Collection of
Decorative panels like this one adorn Peranakan homes during festive occasions. Embroidered in satin stitch, auspicious symbols associated with matrimony fill this panel. Peonies represent spring, honour, and good fortune, while butterflies are a sign of love and joy. Birds and flowers were often paired in embroideries made by or to the taste of Peranakans since the early 20th century. These embroideries, along with beadwork, are collectively known as nyonya needlework. Satin stitch was highly favoured. It involves laying each stitch parallel and very close to one another so as to create the continuous, smooth, glossy surfaces that are a hallmark of Peranakan embroideries.
