Tekat / Sulaman Tekat
Tekat is the traditional Malay gold thread embroidery — produced by couching gold or silver metallic thread onto velvet or silk in intricate floral and geometric patterns. Unlike needle-penetrating embroidery styles, Tekat uses a couching technique: the gold thread is laid on the fabric surface and secured with invisible small stitches of a finer thread — the gold thread never passes through the fabric. This preserves the thread's maximum luster while producing the characteristic raised, three-dimensional surface that distinguishes Tekat from flat embroidery. Tekat is practiced across Peninsular Malaysia but is particularly associated with Perak, Selangor, and the royal courts of the peninsula. The most elaborate form — tekat bersuji — uses padding under the gold thread to create high-relief three-dimensional flowers and foliage.
Risk level: Endangered · Not inscribed internationally; Malaysian national heritage recognition
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