A pair of curtain tie-backs

Penang, early 20th century
Silk velvet embroidered with metal thread, metal purl, and cordonnet; applied gilt metal panels; panel and fringe of netted or plaited glass beads
Peranakan Museum [2005-01302-1, 2]

Roses with rosebuds were one of the most popular subjects in early 20th-century Penang needlework. Sets of furnishings were embroidered with the same designs, and these panels and tie-backs (bang ta gao) for wedding bed curtains illustrate the consistency in the beadwork aesthetic.