Beaded Pillow Ends

Nyonya bead work is a very complicated process. It involves time and effort to stitch an entire repertoire of beading accessories. The most popular of all bead work is the beading involved to make the beaded shoes. However, the Nyonyas were taught to sew, bead and embroider all of their other accessories that were needed in the household. They had to make bed tapestries, bridal hangings, panels, knee pads, shoes, kebaya laces, articles of decoration such as beaded vases, beaded purses, bags, letter holders, decorative motifs, pillow ends and a whole list of other needed household items of art.

Pictures below show a pair of beaded pillow ends from my collection. Such pillow ends were used for the bridal bed on Peranakan wedding days. They took months to complete and involved much painstaking hard work and artistry which in the other hand explaining to us Peranakan beading is a complicated process and takes a lot of skills and patience.

Picture 1

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Also see the "Silver Pillow Ends / Bantal Plates".