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ALL THAT GLITTERS: A LOOK AT STRAITS CHINESE BEADWORK AND EMBROIDERY – TAASA Review September 2009

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This article was originally found in the September 2009 edition of TAASA Review (Volume 18, Issue 3, Page 18).

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Hwei-Fe’n Cheah T eeming with images of auspicious motifs, the beaded and embroidered accessories of the Peranakan (or localised) Chinese born in the Straits Settlements – Penang, Melaka and Singapore – added colour to the ceremonies at which formal dress was worn.

As festive celebrations were streamlined in the first half of the 20th century, traditional dress was modified and the elaborate accessories were simplified or discarded altogether.

Beaded and embroidered collars, pouches, headdresses, and footwear became reminders of bygone ways...