This silken violet piece of cloth is a female headgear worn by the deceased as part of the burial costume. It is ornamented with gold threads embroideries of lotus flowers. This piece was handmade in the 1930s in China, in the province of Chaozhou.
Length 60 cm
Width 28 cm
Height 1 cm
© All rights reserved
© All rights reserved
© All rights reserved
© Johanna Lepeu
© All rights reserved
Jeffrey Eng
- Embroiderer
- Singapore, Singapore
- Master Artisan
Contact
Mandarin, English
Hours:
Monday to Saturday 11:00 - 18:00
Monday to Saturday 11:00 - 18:00
Phone:
+65 67343738
+65 67343738
© All rights reserved
Guardian of threads
- • Jeffrey has sewed since he was a young child
- • He is a collector of embroideries that are over a century old
- • He is the third generation of red banner makers
Jeffrey Eng, is a third-generation owner of Eng Tiang Huat, a business named after his grandfather, based in a beautiful shophouse in Geylang area, where opera costumes, tapestries and antique embroideries are being repaired and sold alongside musical instruments and other cultural objects that form the basis of Chinese traditions. Immersed in the environment since he was a child, Jeffrey learned from his grandfather and father by watching them for hours, standing quietly and – while they were gone for a few minutes – trying out their techniques. One of his passions is to repair damaged embroidered textiles. To Jeffrey, patience, meticulous work and respect are essential to a qualitative artisanal work. It is a reflection of how things were done in the old days, and though it might not be the most efficient or profitable, it is certainly the most genuine.
Read the full interviewWorks
Photo: Nicky Loh © Michelangelo Foundation
Hood
Photo: Nicky Loh © Michelangelo Foundation
Bian Fu (front)
This embroidery is a Bian Fu representing a Chinese mythological creature of a dragon head and a bat. In Chinese Culture, such design combination represents auspiciousness and good luck. Coloured silk threads are added to enhance the overall look combined with the gold threads.
Length 37 cm
Width 37 cm
Height 1 cm
Photo: Nicky Loh © Michelangelo Foundation
Bian Fu (reverse)
This picture shows the reverse side of the Bian Fu. This handmade piece of cloth has been crafted by highly skilled and trained artisans in the Chinese province of Chaozhou in the 1930s. Even though this is the back of the Bian Fu, the finest of stiches are still used with no faults visible.
Length 37 cm
Width 37 cm
Height 1 cm
Photo: Nicky Loh © Michelangelo Foundation
Vambrace
This pair of wrist bands is part of an armour costume wore by a spiritual medium or an opera dancer performing a trance of a Taoist’s God. The whole piece is covered with handmade gold and silk embroideries surrounded by rabbit fur and closed with three round brass buttons.
Length 27 cm
Width 25 cm
Height 1 cm
Photo: Nicky Loh © Michelangelo Foundation
Ankle armour
This pair of ankle bands are part of an armour costume wore by a spiritual medium or an opera dancer performing a trance of a Taoist’s God. Embroidered with gold threads, the “Wan” motif is surrounded with diagonal lines – which represent waves – and clouds.
Length 30 cm
Width 27 cm
Height 1 cm
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