This pair of embroidered panels features auspicious peony blooms, foliage, phoenixes and butterflies. It is embroidered using the satin stitch, where stitches of varying lengths are densely sewn onto the base. When executed meticulously, the evenness of the stitches combine to give a smooth and satin-like sheen. This satin stitch is a mainstay in traditional Chinese embroidery, but is also a recurring feature in Peranakan textile arts. Not all embroidered pieces in the Peranakan household were necessarily the handiwork of its womenfolk. Some of the larger pieces of embroidered panels could have been made by professional embroiderers in Canton (present-day Guangzhou) and Shanghai.
