Straits Chinese Silver Wedding Bed Hooks

Silver Straits Chinese Wedding Bed Curtain Hooks

Each of this pair of silver hooks, of shaped, pierced and engraved sheet silver comprises a floral head and a rounded hook. Such hooks were designed for use with the Straits or Peranakan Chinese wedding or bridal bed in conjunction with fine mosquito netting or fine silk drapes that were pulled back and gathered behind the hook during the day. The beds were typically elaborately carved and of four-poster format. The open sides were hung with curtains which were closed at night.

This pair is identical to a pair illustrated in Ho (1984, p. 77) and Ho (1976, p. 133).

The silver sheet is thin – the hooks are light in the hand. They are in fine condition with no losses. There are no maker’s marks.