Three piece antique banner set Chinese community Burma / Thailand / SE Asian [3]

351 x 133 cm [1]  //  11ft 6” x 4ft 4” [1]

312 x 82 cm [2]  //  10ft 3” x 2ft 8” [2]

This set of banners comprises of two slim and one larger piece, which presumably formed the centre of what must have been a series totalling ~10 metres if hung all together around a room or tent - probably made for a celebratory hall during a festivity or marriage ceremony.

The embroidery is in floss silk, which has in some parts been rubbed but otherwise is in good condition. It is the use of floss silk, along with the identifiable drawing of the elephants etc. that makes the case that these were not made in mainland China rather Chinese migrants to SE Asia. There is a small repeated signature in Chinese characters the last character of which  ‘題’ means to sign off. The first two characters are a name which we are thus far unable to recognise.

• circa 1900

Ref. 18531