This is a pair of bolster covers sewn with panels decorated with the tekat technique that gives a 3-dimensional appearance to the cover. This artefact employs the tekat timbul or tekat bersuji which is a type of traditional Malay couched embroidery that employs the use of gold threads on (usually) velvet textile. What makes it ‘timbul’ or appear 3D-like is the manner in which the gold threads are sewn over cardboard templates of varying motifs and designs known as mempulur. This tekat technique is most often applied on luxury objects used during traditional ceremonies and featured prominently during the early years of Malay royal regalia, at its height during the 15th to the 16th century. However, with the easing of laws over the practice of embroidery skills and the possession of luxurious items, tekat was eventually also allowed for use in common weddings and traditional ceremonies like celebrating a baby’s birth.
