Altar cloths, also known as tok wi in Hokkien, were used to decorate the fronts of Peranakan altars during Chinese New Year or other special occasions. The practice of draping household altars with textiles adorned with meaningful images and words is a practice that developed in southern China, and this tradition was brought to Southeast Asia through immigrants.

Families traditionally used embroidered cloths made in southern China, which were often embellished with traditional auspicious motifs such as the dragon, qilin, Eight Daoist Immortals, and the Three Star Deities. In the early 20th century, some families began to commission altar cloths made of local batik. These textiles produced on the north coast of Java also feature traditional Chinese symbols as well as designs from Europe and Southeast Asia.

Join this sharing session conducted by The Intan to learn more about the auspicious motifs featured on Peranakan altar cloths and how they have been re-imagined and adapted on batik versions to better suit the Peranakan community in Southeast Asia. 

About the Speaker: Mr Alvin Yapp is the owner and curator of The Intan — an award-winning private home museum that focuses on Peranakan heritage. With over two decades of experience as a collector of Peranakan antiques, Mr Yapp also conceptualises and runs awareness programs at The Intan and has collaborated with numerous organisations such as the National Heritage Board, Singapore Tourism Board and Kidzania.

Conducted in English. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. No registration required. View more details here.