This ‘tok wi’ (literally 'table skirt' in Chinese) is the Baba Malay term for the cloth attached to the front of altar tables during significant occasions such as weddings, funerals and on feast days. The elaborately embroidered design in silk with gold thread couching on a silk base incorporates the auspicious motifs of the dragon and ‘Hock Lock Siew’ (福禄寿, ‘Fu Lu Shou’ in Hokkein), the three gods of good fortune, prosperity and longevity. The red background, in addition to the auspicious motifs, indicates this piece was used on festive occasions. This altar cloth was made in China and was used by the Peranakan Chinese in Singapore and Malacca.
