Bed hangings

This is a pair of embroidered panels shaped like elongated neckties with colourful tassels at its ends. Motifs in brilliant colours fill the piece, possibly done using silk thread embroidery. These include flowers in radiant colours of dark blue, purple and pink together with birds decked with feathers in shades of blue. At the bottom of the piece is a pair of phoenix facing each other and surrounded by three peony blossoms in shades of red and orange. The pair of phoenix could represent the bridal couple, while the phoenix symbolises beauty, grace and high virtue among other qualities. Peonies are symbols of love, beauty, spring and good fortune. Birds and flowers depicted together also represented fertility and abundance. The above were all auspicious meanings associated with a wedding. Hence, this pair of ornamental hangings could have been suspended from the top of the wedding bed in preparation for the 12 day traditional Peranakan wedding.