This is an Irish carpet which is a trade term used for colourful tapestry velvet tablecloth used by many Peranakan Chinese families. The decorative motifs on this piece include a pair of peacocks perched on a tree branch. Peacocks represent dignity, rank, wealth and power. The rest of the piece is filled with flowers in pink, purple and violet. Such pieces were also used as carpets and were taken out and displayed on special occasions such as weddings and birthdays. These pieces could have been purchased from Chinese or Indian shops that sold imported household items and they came in a variety of sizes and motifs.
