Eight panel table screen

Penang, early 20th century
Silk embroidered with silk floss (raised satin stitch)
Collection of Hall of the Phoenix and Peony, Singapore

This exquisite table screen was probably a gift or a commemorative piece for a patron well versed in Chinese. It was modelled on Chinese table screens, which counted among the “treasures” of a Chinese scholar’s table and provided privacy and decoration. The long Chinese inscription, referring to Daoist deities, is highly unusual for nyonya embroidery.