Bed valance

Title

Bed valance

Year/Period

1937

Region

Jakarta, Indonesia

Object Type

wedding decorative ornaments, bed valances

Material

silk (textile), cotton (textile), thread

Technique

embroidering, sewing (needleworking technique), textile processes and techniques

Dimension

Object size: 68.2 x 220.3 cm

Accession No.

2021-00560

Collection of

Peranakan Museum

This bed valance was used to decorate the bridal bed of Lim Gwat Nio (1915–2001), who married Tan In Hok (1892–1978) in Batavia (today Jakarta) in 1937. Tan In Hok was the last chairman of the Chinese Council (Kong Koan) of Batavia. Established in the early 18th century by the Dutch East India Company, the Chinese Council collected tax, provided free education for children from poor families, and managed cemeteries, among other functions.Valances, decorative draperies hung from a bed frame or above a window, are among the largest examples of nyonya needlework, which refers to embroidery and beadwork associated with Peranakan communities.