Nyonya Needlework

Woman’s slippers
Malacca or Singapore, 1920 to 1940

The cartouches around the motifs are derived from Chinese textile designs. The curly brackets at the sides of the women’s slippers are a simplified version of the curvilinear cloud or fungus decoration on Chinese shoes.

This is one of a pair of matching set of slippers probably for a wedding couple. Their luxurious materials, intricate details and rich textures are hallmarks of nyonya needlework.

Ceremonial handkerchief
Malacca, late 19th century

Silk velvet embroidered with silk floss (raised satin stitch, knot stitch, and bullion knots), cut metal beads, melon-form metal beads, glass beads, and cordonnet; edges of buttonhole stitch.

This handkerchief stands out for its exquisite figures. Xiwang Mu, the Daoist Queen Mother of the West, rides on her phoenix; the reverse has Shoulao, the God of Longevity.

At the top of the handkerchief is a horseshoe crab. It can be distinguished by its shape, greyish colour, and spiky tail. Since the smaller male clings to the female for long periods, the pair represents marital fidelity.

Panel, probably a table cover
Penang, around 1910
Needlepoint canvas embroidered with glass beads


This charming panel must have been considered modern and stylish for its time. The patterns were adapted from European needlepoint. The domesticated animals, baskets of temperate flowers, and blond-hair children were much favoured by the Peranakan Chinese.

Around the border is an unusually long tribute to the newlyweds. These verses are from the book Toasts and After Dinner Stories (1900), and show the social conventions of Peranakan Chinese society.

Stand for an embroidery frame
Probably Singapore, late 19th or early 20th century

Specially-made wooden stands supported the frames on which the embroidered fabric was stretched to keep it taut while sewing. These stands often had built-in drawers for needlework equipment, or for containers of beads and tinsel.

This stand must have belonged to a keen beader, for its drawers contained an array of samplers.

Purse
Malacca or Singapore, late 19th or early 20th century

Small purses were usually worked in several techniques. The flat metal thread couching produces a brocade-like surface. It is often combined with tekat timbul, a type of raised metal thread embroidery, in a basket-weave pattern.

The relief effect, created with padding, mimics the raised patterns in repoussé metalwork (designs hammered from the back).

Ornaments for the sweetmeat box
Java, Batavia, late 19th century

These unusual and delightful beaded figures reflect the nyonyas’ fondness for classic Chinese stories. Replete with “feather” headdresses and weapons, they represent male and female generals from Sie Djin Koei, a tale about the exploits of the Tang dynasty general, Xue Rengui.

The figures were used to decorate the chien-hap (or bit-chien), a box for sweetmeat offerings placed on the altar in Peranakan Chinese homes.

Dowry tray cover
Java, possibly Semarang, late 19th century

Semarang, a major port on the north coast of Java, had a sizeable Peranakan Chinese population. This panel, possibly from the area, must have been a doily, or cover for the trays or boxes for the wedding gift exchange between the bride’s and groom’s families.

Perhaps inspired by batik designs, the coiled creature at the centre of the panel resembles a centipede, rather than a dragon.

Belt
West Sumatra, 1912

Flat colors and stiff repeating motifs suggest that this belt is from West Sumatra. Two hands point to a Chinese name, Kwee Ng Soen. Dutch flags flank the year “1912”. In the preceding three years, the nationality of the Peranakan Chinese became a contested issue between the Chinese and Indies governments, resulting in a Dutch decree in 1911 where locally-born Chinese would be considered Dutch subjects.

This belt is a powerful reminder of the questions of identity that faced the Peranakan Chinese in the Indies.

Handkerchief or dowry tray cover
Sumatra, Palembang, second half of the 19th century

This handkerchief is a masterpiece of nyonya needlework. The embroidery, inspired by drawn batik (tulis) handkerchiefs, illustrates how inventive needle-workers borrowed ideas from other textile media.

The pattern at the centre resembles intersecting coins, but seen as a whole, it simulates the repeating squares and circles of ceplok batik patterns. The colours echo costly tiga negri (three region) batiks that were highly regarded by the Peranakan Chinese. Stylized flowers in double running stitch resemble indigo batik borders.

The pattern at the centre resembles intersecting coins, but seen as a whole, it simulates the repeating squares and circles of ceplok batik patterns. The colours echo costly tiga negri (three region) batiks that were highly regarded by the Peranakan Chinese. Stylized flowers in double running stitch resemble indigo batik borders.

Woman’s ankle boots
Java, late 19th century

These boots are embroidered with traditional auspicious images, but their shape follows European women’s ankle boots that were fashionable in the 1880s.

Non-Europeans were not permitted by law to wear European clothing in late 19th-century Indonesia, and nyonyas generally wore Chinese shoes or slippers. When wealthy nyonyas wore boots like these, they made a fashion statement and declared their privileged status.

Headdress for a bridal attendant

Malacca or Singapore, late 19th or early 20th century

Silk velvet worked with cut steel beads and melon-form metal beads, metal purl, sequins, metal thread (couched and attached with buttonhole stitch), cordonnet; fringe of netted or plaited glass beads, attached pompoms; needle-woven edges


Elaborate headdresses were part of the ceremonial outfits of young girls in Malacca and Singapore. Some had an additional pointed crown that differentiated them from the baxian (Eight Immortals) headdresses worn elsewhere in the archipelago.

The dominant images include Xiwangmu, Queen mother of the West, on the beaded piece; and a bird, perhaps a phoenix or crane, on the gold embroidered headdress. The maker has ingeniously stitched overlapping sequins to suggest ruffled feathers and flower petals.

Embroidered square for a bridegroom's surcoat
Singapore or Malacca, early 20th century

Modeled on the Chinese embroidered square (buzi), this two-part panel was attached to the front of a man's wedding surcoat. In the late nineteenth century, some wealthy Peranakan Chinese purchased or received honours from the Chinese government.

This entitled them to dress in official's robes, with an embroidered square emblazoned on the surcoat. Such surcoats were also worn by Peranakan Chinese grooms in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Woman’s shoulder-piece
Malacca or Singapore, late 19th or early 20th century

The nyonyas in Malacca and Singapore wore arrow-shaped embroideries with their baju panjang blouse and sarong. They were draped over the shoulder with the pointed end to the front, probably inspired by the large handkerchiefs that doubled as key-holders.

Many shoulder-pieces (sangkut bahu) consist of two parts, but the rectangular upper panels may have also been worn on their own. Some surviving examples resemble Chinese women’s embroidered sleeve bands, suggesting that the latter may have provided models for the designs.

Hangings for the bed
Penang, early 20th century

The Peranakan Chinese matrimonial bed was usually dressed with sumptuous embroideries. These reached their apogee in Penang.

Tie-shaped hangings, called kiam tua (sword hangings), were suspended at the front of the bed as symbolic protection for the newlyweds. Netted or plaited beadwork took the place of knotwork fringes. Large bed covers may have been stitched by professional embroiderers. The techniques of these pieces are reminiscent of Chinese embroideries, but the sharp jewel-like colours are typical of Penang nyonya needlework.

Table cover
Penang, early 20th century

The exuberance of Penang nyonya needlework is epitomized by this table cover. Worked in minute and closely-spaced knot stitches, phoenixes and peonies are surrounded with pineapples, grapes, finger citrons, peaches, bottle gourds, and melons.

In the outermost band, birds and flowers metaphorically bring a wealth of good wishes to the nuptial table.