Rare Pair of Straits Chinese / Peranakan Antique Solid Silver Pillow Ends Buntal Plates c.1890

A rare pair of genuine antique Straits Chinese/Peranakan hallmarked solid silver circular bolster-end plates, Malaysia & Singapore, c.1890. These rare Straits silver pieces represent a beautiful fusion of Chinese and Malay cultures. Traditionally used by the Straits Chinese (Chinese communities that settled along the Malacca Strait - modern-day Malaysia and Singapore - in the mid-19th century), such plates were sewn onto both ends of a bolster as adornments for the bridal bed during wedding ceremonies. Each plate is richly decorated with a central flower head surrounded by the Eight Taoist Emblems - symbolic items carried by the Eight Immortals in Taoist tradition - set against a background of fluttering ribbons and foliate scrollwork. Taoism was, and remains, a principal religion among the Straits Chinese. Both plates bear a small Chinese silver chopmark/hallmark (see last two images) and have been tested to confirm a silver purity of at least 90%.