Peranakan cut beads

Peranakan cut beads (Peranakan: Manek potong) [1] are faceted glass beads used by the Peranakan women to make Peranakan beaded slippers (kasot manek) and other Peranakan artifacts like wedding veils, handbags, belts, tapestries and pouches.

[2] The beads used in the past were very tiny multi-faceted glass seed beads from Europe.

Nowadays, the bead size commonly in use for Peranakan beadwork are sizes 15 to 18 (the larger the size number, the smaller the bead).

These beads are usually from the Czech Republic.

This China-related article is a stub.

A late 19th century Peranakan woman's ceremonial purse (tas manik) with velvet weave and glass cut beads.