Fiona Kerlogue

This catalogue focuses on a group of 72 batik altar cloths recently donated to the Peranakan Museum. Families traditionally used embroidered cloths made in southern China, but in the early 20th century, the cloths began to be made of Javanese batik. Essays by Peter Lee, discussing the use and historical context of altar cloths in Southeast Asia, and by Fiona Kerlogue, on the significance of the designs on the cloths, complement beautifully illustrated entries on each cloth.

A comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to the region’s arts and cultureThe pagodas of Burma, the temples of Angkor, the great Buddhist monument of Borobudur – these achievements are a familiar part of a broad artistic tradition that includes textiles, sculpture, vernacular architecture and village crafts. Now, local artists are embracing new subjects and media as the area opens up to world travel and communication. Covering Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, Dr Kerlogue examines both the roots and recent development of the arts of this distinctive region, tracing the reflection in the arts of indigenous beliefs and world religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity – from prehistory to the present day. With a glossary of names and places and cues to further reading, the book is ideal for students, expatriates and travellers.