The lower panel of this cloth depicts a scene from the Chinese classic, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The leaders of the Shu state sit on the walls of the citadel to trick the attacking Wei army into thinking that they are ready for battle, Tiny mirrors like those found running along the borders of the cloth can often been found on textiles made in Java, or those imported from China but further decorated in Java.Altar cloths are textiles that hang in front of Chinese altars during ceremonial occasions such as weddings or Chinese New Year. Embroidered altar cloths were mostly made in China and imported into Southeast Asia, though there was a small local embroidery business making Chinese textiles.
