Auspicious Designs: Batik for Peranakan Altars

This publication presents one of the most important studies on batik altar cloths, or tok wi, a ritual textile tradition closely associated with the Peranakan Chinese community. These cloths, rich with auspicious motifs and inscriptions, were draped over household altars during ceremonies to honour ancestors, seek blessings, and protect the home.

Drawing on the extraordinary gift of seventy-two altar cloths donated by Matthew and Alice Yapp to the Peranakan Museum, the book offers the first in-depth exploration of this little-studied genre. Illustrated with high-quality, full-colour photographs, it examines the symbolism of designs featuring lions, dragons, phoenixes, flowers, and calligraphic inscriptions, while situating the tradition within the broader context of Peranakan religious and domestic life.

Contributions from Peter Lee, Fiona Kerlogue, Benjamin Chiesa, and Maria Khoo Joseph provide historical, artistic, and cultural perspectives, making this volume an essential reference for scholars, collectors, and anyone interested in Southeast Asian textiles and material culture.

Publication Details:

• Authors: Peter Lee, Fiona Kerlogue, Benjamin Kyle Chiesa, Maria Khoo Joseph
• Publisher: Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore (2015)
• Language: English
• Format: Hardcover (no dust jacket as issued)
• Pages: 139 pages
• Dimensions: 25 x 28 cm
• ISBN: 9789810920739

 Condition:

• Book: Near Fine. Soft crease to top right corner of some pages. Light age-toning to page edges. Internally clean and bright.
• Dust Jacket: Not issued.