Crafts and the visual arts/ Contents

Straits Chinese embroidery and beadwork

Khoo Joo Ee

sp30_kebaya

Nonya (Straits Chinese women) were traditionally easily identified by their embroidered kebaya, a version of the Malay baju kebaya

The Straits Chinese heritage is reflected in a wide range of traditions and crafts, such as the contribution of Chinese embroidery and Malay costume embodied in the elegant Nonya kebaya, traditionally worn by their women and now a fashionable form of attire for all Malaysian women. They were skilled at silk and metal thread embroidery and beadwork and, consistent with other heritage items, their motifs had predominantly Chinese and European influences.

  • Information in the full article includes
  • Ancestral skills
  • Needlework
  • Beadwork