Altar cloth (tok wi)

Island Southeast Asians of Chinese heritage (Peranakan) are often descended from traders who migrated from Southern Fujian province in China. Over generations communities have maintained traditions from that region, including festivals, celebration of life events, filial piety, and reverence for ancestors.

Cloths that would hang from the front of an altar table are known as tok wi. Batik tok wi were likely developed as a cheaper alternative to embroidered silk cloths imported from China. This example is deep red, an auspicious color in Chinese culture. A lion romps in the center, between two ribboned balls. Four qilin, mythical composite creatures that are said to be so benevolent that they refuse to tread on grass for fear of harming it, float above cloud motifs at the four corners of the main panel. They are associated with prosperity as well as long life and fertility, as are the deer and vase on the top section of the cloth.