GOLD THREAD EMBROIDERIES OF THE PERANAKAN CHINESE – TAASA Review March 2015

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This article was originally found in the March 2015 edition of TAASA Review (Volume 24, Issue 1, Page 16).

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Hwei-Fen Cheah O n a small purse, a giant lotus rises behind a capering qilin.

On the other side, a plump deer twists its head to look behind while Lilliputian birds nest in floral scrolls along its crimson velvet borders.

Drawn from conventional Chinese imagery, the qilin represents honour and the boon of many sons, the deer longevity, and the lotus is both a Buddhist symbol for purity and a homophone for continuity and relationships (Welch 2008)...