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 depict a man riding on an elephant, with another walking by its side. The elephant’s back is covered with a patterned cloth in red and orange. This is a scene from Burma with royal elephant calvary and foot soldier. There is also a border pattern filled with pink roses against a deep red background. Such pieces were also used as carpets and were taken out and displayed on special occasions such as weddings. 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.
