This is a pair of tekat panels decorated with the tekat technique that gives a 3-dimensional appearance to the cover. This artefact employs the tekat timbul or tekat bersuji, a traditional Malay couched embroidery that uses gold threads on (usually) velvet textiles. What makes it ‘timbul’ or appear 3D-like is how the gold threads are sewn over cardboard templates of varying motifs and designs known as mempulur. This tekat technique is most often applied to 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 possessing luxurious items, tekat was eventually also allowed for use in typical weddings and traditional ceremonies like celebrating a baby’s birth.
