Then, one impression at a time, the surface begins to change.

What emerges is more than decoration. It is the result of knowledge, repetition, precision and the hand of the maker.

Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage brings together the objects, people and stories connected with this tradition, from royal garments and carved woodblocks to contemporary research and a new collection in pewter.

An Impression in Gold

Telepuk is a textile gilding practice in which gold leaf is applied to cloth using intricately carved blocks known as sarang telepuk.

The cloth is first prepared until smooth and lustrous. A carved block transfers a thin layer of adhesive onto its surface. Gold leaf is then applied and the excess carefully brushed away.

And the motif appears.

One impression follows another.
A flower.
A tendril.
A geometric form.

Repeated across the cloth, individual motifs come together as borders, panels and fields of gold.

Every field of gold begins with an impression.

A Language of Motifs

Look closely and each pattern carries its own identity.

Telepuk draws upon a rich vocabulary of floral, foliate and geometric forms.

Yet the beauty of the craft lies not only in the individual motif.

It is in the way one impression is placed beside another, repeated and arranged until the entire cloth becomes a composition.

From a single carved form, a field of pattern unfolds.

Dressed in Gold

Telepuk has long been associated with royal and ceremonial dress.

The garments gathered for Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage allow this relationship to be seen across different periods.

Among them is a Baju Sikap associated with Sultan Sir Abdul Samad, dating to approximately the mid-19th century and offering a glimpse into royal dress from more than 170 years ago.

Alongside it are garments associated with the Selangor royal household today.

These include a Telepuk kebaya featuring the Bunga Tanjung Pecah Sembilan motif worn by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Hajah Norashikin.

Across generations, the garments change, but the relationship between pattern, making and ceremony continues.

77 Woodblocks

A story that travelled far from Selangor

In the early 1920s, a group of 77 Telepuk woodblocks associated with Sultan Sir Ala'eddin Suleiman Shah Ibni Raja Muda Musa, Sultan of Selangor, became part of a journey that would take them to London.

Each block carried a carved motif.
Each was made to leave an impression.

In 1924 and 1925, the group was displayed at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley.

When the exhibition ended, the blocks remained in London.

They subsequently entered the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where they have been preserved for almost a century.

The carved surfaces remain.
The patterns remain.
And through them, another part of the Telepuk story remains visible.

Almost a Century Later

For Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage, Royal Selangor returned to this group of woodblocks as a source of study and inspiration.

Not to recreate Telepuk, but to look closely at the forms from which its impressions began.

Selected motifs from the V&A collection were interpreted through a material familiar to Royal Selangor.

Pewter.

A motif once carved in wood and intended to be transferred onto cloth now takes another form.

The connection lies in the impression.

From Wood to Gold to Pewter

For more than 140 years, Royal Selangor has worked with pewter through the knowledge of designers, craftspeople and makers.

In this collaboration with the V&A, that experience meets the carved vocabulary of Telepuk.

The result is a collection that connects objects from the past with making in the present.

The Telepuk Collection

In Collaboration with the V&A

The Telepuk Collector's Set

Six motifs. Six impressions.

The Telepuk Collector's Set brings together six pewter interpretations inspired by woodblocks in the V&A collection.

Each piece captures the impression of an individual motif, translating a form originally intended to be stamped onto fabric into an object that can be held, studied and appreciated.

The form, relief and intricate character of the original woodcarvings have been retained in pewter.

Each piece is mounted on a wooden backing, acknowledging the material from which the original blocks were made.

Presented together in a specially designed wooden box, the six pieces bring the viewer closer to the carved forms from which Telepuk impressions begin.

A century separates the objects, but the motif connects them.

Telepuk Coasters

The collection continues with two pewter coasters inspired by selected Telepuk motifs from the V&A collection.

The Heritage Telepuk Floral Motifs Coaster brings together jasmine, mangosteen calyx and clove motifs in an intricate composition.

The Heritage Telepuk Awan Larat Coaster features lotus, awan larat, cloud and wave forms.

Rendered in pewter, both bring the visual language of the carved motifs into objects for everyday life.

What once began as an impression upon cloth is encountered again through metal.

Beyond the Object

The story of Telepuk cannot be told through surviving objects alone.

A woodblock can be preserved. A textile can be conserved. A garment can be placed in a collection. But the knowledge of how to make them lives with people.

How the cloth is prepared. How the block is carved. How it is placed. How fragile gold leaf is handled. How one impression follows another.

Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage therefore also recognises the artisans, researchers and advocates who continue to study, practise, document and share the craft.

Because the continuation of a tradition depends not only on what survives.
It also depends on what is still known.

The Hand of the Maker

Among the stories represented in the exhibition is that of the late Adiguru Norhaiza Noordin, one of Malaysia's foremost traditional woodcarvers and a Tokoh Kraf Negara.

Together, they offer insight into a life spent studying, practising and transmitting the knowledge of traditional woodcarving and motifs. They also remind us that behind every carved pattern is a pair of hands.

And behind those hands, years of knowledge.

Gold. Tin. A New Material Question.

Royal Selangor's exploration did not stop with pewter.

As part of the programme, the team also studied what might happen when tin leaf is applied through the Telepuk process.

This research is not intended to replace the traditional use of gold leaf. Instead, it brings Royal Selangor's knowledge of metal into conversation with an established textile technique.

The process remains recognisable. The material changes. And with it, the way the surface responds to light.

It is an exploration of material, process and possibility.

A Story Brought Together

On 27 August 2026, the story came together at the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre in Kuala Lumpur with the official launch of Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage.

The exhibition was graciously launched by His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, Sultan of Selangor, accompanied by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Hajah Norashikin.

The occasion was also graced by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, and His Highness the Raja Muda of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah ibni Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj.

For one morning, objects and stories from different periods stood side by side.

Historic garments.
Carved woodblocks.
Telepuk textiles.
The work of artisans.
Research into materials.
And new objects shaped in pewter.

It was not simply a presentation of objects, but also was an opportunity to see how the different chapters of Telepuk's story remain connected.

Stories Told Through Gold

The exhibition brings together garments, woodblocks, fabrics, archival references, material studies and the people connected with the continuing practice and study of Telepuk.

Each object reveals another part of the story.

Together, they allow Telepuk to be encountered not simply as a finished textile, but through the materials, tools, skills and knowledge behind its making.

Experience the Story

Visitors can also encounter selected Telepuk motifs through Royal Selangor's own craft experiences.

At the School of Hard Knocks, a special-edition pewter bowl features motifs inspired by historic Telepuk blocks in the V&A collection.

At The Foundry, selected motifs from the same collection have been adapted into moulds that visitors can cast as a necklace or keychain.

Different materials. Different techniques. Another way to understand the relationship between pattern and making.

Keeping the Craft Alive

The objects tell us where a craft has been. People determine where it goes next.

For Royal Selangor, preserving craft means more than preserving the objects that remain. It also means supporting the knowledge and people that allow making to continue.

20% of the net proceeds from each Telepuk Collector's Set sold will be contributed to Langkasuka Movement to support initiatives contributing to the preservation and continuation of Telepuk.

Because an impression can remain on cloth for generations, but the ability to make the next one has to be passed on.

The Story Continues

A piece of gold leaf.
A carved block.
A royal garment.
Seventy-seven woodblocks.
Wembley.
The V&A.
An artisan's hands.
A pewter impression.
A new generation discovering the story.
One impression has led to another.
And another.

TELEPUK

THE IMPRINT OF HERITAGE

Objects preserve part of the story.
Knowledge carries it forward.

Then, one impression at a time, the surface begins to change.

What emerges is more than decoration. It is the result of knowledge, repetition, precision and the hand of the maker.

Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage brings together the objects, people and stories connected with this tradition, from royal garments and carved woodblocks to contemporary research and a new collection in pewter.

An Impression in Gold

Telepuk is a textile gilding practice in which gold leaf is applied to cloth using intricately carved blocks known as sarang telepuk.

The cloth is first prepared until smooth and lustrous. A carved block transfers a thin layer of adhesive onto its surface. Gold leaf is then applied and the excess carefully brushed away.

And the motif appears.

One impression follows another.
A flower.
A tendril.
A geometric form.

Repeated across the cloth, individual motifs come together as borders, panels and fields of gold.

Every field of gold begins with an impression.

A Language of Motifs

Look closely and each pattern carries its own identity.

From a single carved form, a field of pattern unfolds.

Dressed in Gold

Telepuk has long been associated with royal and ceremonial dress.

The garments gathered for Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage allow this relationship to be seen across different periods.

Among them is a Baju Sikap associated with Sultan Sir Abdul Samad, dating to approximately the mid-19th century and offering a glimpse into royal dress from more than 170 years ago.

Alongside it are garments associated with the Selangor royal household today.

These include a Telepuk kebaya featuring the Bunga Tanjung Pecah Sembilan motif worn by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Hajah Norashikin.

Across generations, the garments change, but the relationship between pattern, making and ceremony continues.

77 Woodblocks

A story that travelled far from Selangor

In the early 1920s, a group of 77 Telepuk woodblocks associated with Sultan Sir Ala'eddin Suleiman Shah Ibni Raja Muda Musa, Sultan of Selangor, became part of a journey that would take them to London.

Each block carried a carved motif.
Each was made to leave an impression.

In 1924 and 1925, the group was displayed at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley.

When the exhibition ended, the blocks remained in London.

They subsequently entered the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where they have been preserved for almost a century.

The carved surfaces remain.
The patterns remain.
And through them, another part of the Telepuk story remains visible.

Almost a Century Later

For Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage, Royal Selangor returned to this group of woodblocks as a source of study and inspiration.

Not to recreate Telepuk, but to look closely at the forms from which its impressions began.

Selected motifs from the V&A collection were interpreted through a material familiar to Royal Selangor.

Pewter.

A motif once carved in wood and intended to be transferred onto cloth now takes another form.

The connection lies in the impression.

From Wood to Gold to Pewter

For more than 140 years, Royal Selangor has worked with pewter through the knowledge of designers, craftspeople and makers.

In this collaboration with the V&A, that experience meets the carved vocabulary of Telepuk.

The result is a collection that connects objects from the past with making in the present.

The Telepuk Collection

In Collaboration with the V&A

The Telepuk Collector's Set

Six motifs. Six impressions.

The Telepuk Collector's Set brings together six pewter interpretations inspired by woodblocks in the V&A collection.

Each piece captures the impression of an individual motif, translating a form originally intended to be stamped onto fabric into an object that can be held, studied and appreciated.

The form, relief and intricate character of the original woodcarvings have been retained in pewter.

Each piece is mounted on a wooden backing, acknowledging the material from which the original blocks were made.

Presented together in a specially designed wooden box, the six pieces bring the viewer closer to the carved forms from which Telepuk impressions begin.

A century separates the objects, but the motif connects them.

Telepuk Coasters

The collection continues with two pewter coasters inspired by selected Telepuk motifs from the V&A collection.

The Heritage Telepuk Floral Motifs Coaster brings together jasmine, mangosteen calyx and clove motifs in an intricate composition.

The Heritage Telepuk Awan Larat Coaster features lotus, awan larat, cloud and wave forms.

Rendered in pewter, both bring the visual language of the carved motifs into objects for everyday life.

What once began as an impression upon cloth is encountered again through metal.

Beyond the Object

The story of Telepuk cannot be told through surviving objects alone.

A woodblock can be preserved. A textile can be conserved. A garment can be placed in a collection. But the knowledge of how to make them lives with people.

How the cloth is prepared. How the block is carved. How it is placed. How fragile gold leaf is handled. How one impression follows another.

Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage therefore also recognises the artisans, researchers and advocates who continue to study, practise, document and share the craft.

Because the continuation of a tradition depends not only on what survives.
It also depends on what is still known.

The Hand of the Maker

Among the stories represented in the exhibition is that of the late Adiguru Norhaiza Noordin, one of Malaysia's foremost traditional woodcarvers and a Tokoh Kraf Negara.

Together, they offer insight into a life spent studying, practising and transmitting the knowledge of traditional woodcarving and motifs. They also remind us that behind every carved pattern is a pair of hands.

And behind those hands, years of knowledge.

Gold. Tin. A New Material Question.

Royal Selangor's exploration did not stop with pewter.

As part of the programme, the team also studied what might happen when tin leaf is applied through the Telepuk process.

This research is not intended to replace the traditional use of gold leaf. Instead, it brings Royal Selangor's knowledge of metal into conversation with an established textile technique.

The process remains recognisable. The material changes. And with it, the way the surface responds to light.

It is an exploration of material, process and possibility.

A Story Brought Together

On 27 August 2026, the story came together at the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre in Kuala Lumpur with the official launch of Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage.

The exhibition was graciously launched by His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, Sultan of Selangor, accompanied by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Hajah Norashikin.

The occasion was also graced by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, and His Highness the Raja Muda of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah ibni Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj.

For one morning, objects and stories from different periods stood side by side.

Historic garments.
Carved woodblocks.
Telepuk textiles.
The work of artisans.
Research into materials.
And new objects shaped in pewter.

It was not simply a presentation of objects, but also was an opportunity to see how the different chapters of Telepuk's story remain connected.

Stories Told Through Gold

The exhibition brings together garments, woodblocks, fabrics, archival references, material studies and the people connected with the continuing practice and study of Telepuk.

Each object reveals another part of the story.

Together, they allow Telepuk to be encountered not simply as a finished textile, but through the materials, tools, skills and knowledge behind its making.

Experience the Story

Visitors can also encounter selected Telepuk motifs through Royal Selangor's own craft experiences.

At the School of Hard Knocks, a special-edition pewter bowl features motifs inspired by historic Telepuk blocks in the V&A collection.

At The Foundry, selected motifs from the same collection have been adapted into moulds that visitors can cast as a necklace or keychain.

Different materials. Different techniques. Another way to understand the relationship between pattern and making.

Keeping the Craft Alive

The objects tell us where a craft has been. People determine where it goes next.

For Royal Selangor, preserving craft means more than preserving the objects that remain. It also means supporting the knowledge and people that allow making to continue.

20% of the net proceeds from each Telepuk Collector's Set sold will be contributed to Langkasuka Movement to support initiatives contributing to the preservation and continuation of Telepuk.

Because an impression can remain on cloth for generations, but the ability to make the next one has to be passed on.

The Story Continues

A piece of gold leaf.
A carved block.
A royal garment.
Seventy-seven woodblocks.
Wembley.
The V&A.
An artisan's hands.
A pewter impression.
A new generation discovering the story.
One impression has led to another.
And another.

TELEPUK

THE IMPRINT OF HERITAGE

Objects preserve part of the story.
Knowledge carries it forward.

Then, one impression at a time, the surface begins to change.

What emerges is more than decoration. It is the result of knowledge, repetition, precision and the hand of the maker.

Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage brings together the objects, people and stories connected with this tradition, from royal garments and carved woodblocks to contemporary research and a new collection in pewter.

An Impression in Gold

Telepuk is a textile gilding practice in which gold leaf is applied to cloth using intricately carved blocks known as sarang telepuk.

The cloth is first prepared until smooth and lustrous. A carved block transfers a thin layer of adhesive onto its surface. Gold leaf is then applied and the excess carefully brushed away.

And the motif appears.

One impression follows another.
A flower.
A tendril.
A geometric form.

Repeated across the cloth, individual motifs come together as borders, panels and fields of gold.

Every field of gold begins with an impression.

A Language of Motifs

Look closely and each pattern carries its own identity.

From a single carved form, a field of pattern unfolds.

Dressed in Gold

Telepuk has long been associated with royal and ceremonial dress.

The garments gathered for Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage allow this relationship to be seen across different periods.

Among them is a Baju Sikap associated with Sultan Sir Abdul Samad, dating to approximately the mid-19th century and offering a glimpse into royal dress from more than 170 years ago.

Alongside it are garments associated with the Selangor royal household today.

These include a Telepuk kebaya featuring the Bunga Tanjung Pecah Sembilan motif worn by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Hajah Norashikin.

Across generations, the garments change, but the relationship between pattern, making and ceremony continues.

77 Woodblocks

A story that travelled far from Selangor

In the early 1920s, a group of 77 Telepuk woodblocks associated with Sultan Sir Ala'eddin Suleiman Shah Ibni Raja Muda Musa, Sultan of Selangor, became part of a journey that would take them to London.

Each block carried a carved motif.
Each was made to leave an impression.

In 1924 and 1925, the group was displayed at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley.

When the exhibition ended, the blocks remained in London.

They subsequently entered the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where they have been preserved for almost a century.

The carved surfaces remain.
The patterns remain.
And through them, another part of the Telepuk story remains visible.

Almost a Century Later

For Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage, Royal Selangor returned to this group of woodblocks as a source of study and inspiration.

Not to recreate Telepuk, but to look closely at the forms from which its impressions began.

Selected motifs from the V&A collection were interpreted through a material familiar to Royal Selangor.

Pewter.

A motif once carved in wood and intended to be transferred onto cloth now takes another form.

The connection lies in the impression.

From Wood to Gold to Pewter

For more than 140 years, Royal Selangor has worked with pewter through the knowledge of designers, craftspeople and makers.

In this collaboration with the V&A, that experience meets the carved vocabulary of Telepuk.

The result is a collection that connects objects from the past with making in the present.

The Telepuk Collection

In Collaboration with the V&A

The Telepuk Collector's Set

Six motifs. Six impressions.

The Telepuk Collector's Set brings together six pewter interpretations inspired by woodblocks in the V&A collection.

Each piece captures the impression of an individual motif, translating a form originally intended to be stamped onto fabric into an object that can be held, studied and appreciated.

The form, relief and intricate character of the original woodcarvings have been retained in pewter.

Each piece is mounted on a wooden backing, acknowledging the material from which the original blocks were made.

Presented together in a specially designed wooden box, the six pieces bring the viewer closer to the carved forms from which Telepuk impressions begin.

A century separates the objects, but the motif connects them.

Telepuk Coasters

The collection continues with two pewter coasters inspired by selected Telepuk motifs from the V&A collection.

The Heritage Telepuk Floral Motifs Coaster brings together jasmine, mangosteen calyx and clove motifs in an intricate composition.

The Heritage Telepuk Awan Larat Coaster features lotus, awan larat, cloud and wave forms.

Rendered in pewter, both bring the visual language of the carved motifs into objects for everyday life.

What once began as an impression upon cloth is encountered again through metal.

Beyond the Object

The story of Telepuk cannot be told through surviving objects alone.

A woodblock can be preserved. A textile can be conserved. A garment can be placed in a collection. But the knowledge of how to make them lives with people.

How the cloth is prepared. How the block is carved. How it is placed. How fragile gold leaf is handled. How one impression follows another.

Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage therefore also recognises the artisans, researchers and advocates who continue to study, practise, document and share the craft.

Because the continuation of a tradition depends not only on what survives.
It also depends on what is still known.

The Hand of the Maker

Among the stories represented in the exhibition is that of the late Adiguru Norhaiza Noordin, one of Malaysia's foremost traditional woodcarvers and a Tokoh Kraf Negara.

Together, they offer insight into a life spent studying, practising and transmitting the knowledge of traditional woodcarving and motifs. They also remind us that behind every carved pattern is a pair of hands.

And behind those hands, years of knowledge.

Gold. Tin. A New Material Question.

Royal Selangor's exploration did not stop with pewter.

As part of the programme, the team also studied what might happen when tin leaf is applied through the Telepuk process.

This research is not intended to replace the traditional use of gold leaf. Instead, it brings Royal Selangor's knowledge of metal into conversation with an established textile technique.

The process remains recognisable. The material changes. And with it, the way the surface responds to light.

It is an exploration of material, process and possibility.

A Story Brought Together

On 27 August 2026, the story came together at the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre in Kuala Lumpur with the official launch of Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage.

The exhibition was graciously launched by His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, Sultan of Selangor, accompanied by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Hajah Norashikin.

The occasion was also graced by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, and His Highness the Raja Muda of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah ibni Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj.

For one morning, objects and stories from different periods stood side by side.

Historic garments.
Carved woodblocks.
Telepuk textiles.
The work of artisans.
Research into materials.
And new objects shaped in pewter.

It was not simply a presentation of objects, but also was an opportunity to see how the different chapters of Telepuk's story remain connected.

Stories Told Through Gold

The exhibition brings together garments, woodblocks, fabrics, archival references, material studies and the people connected with the continuing practice and study of Telepuk.

Each object reveals another part of the story.

Together, they allow Telepuk to be encountered not simply as a finished textile, but through the materials, tools, skills and knowledge behind its making.

Experience the Story

Visitors can also encounter selected Telepuk motifs through Royal Selangor's own craft experiences.

At the School of Hard Knocks, a special-edition pewter bowl features motifs inspired by historic Telepuk blocks in the V&A collection.

At The Foundry, selected motifs from the same collection have been adapted into moulds that visitors can cast as a necklace or keychain.

Different materials. Different techniques. Another way to understand the relationship between pattern and making.

Keeping the Craft Alive

The objects tell us where a craft has been. People determine where it goes next.

For Royal Selangor, preserving craft means more than preserving the objects that remain. It also means supporting the knowledge and people that allow making to continue.

20% of the net proceeds from each Telepuk Collector's Set sold will be contributed to Langkasuka Movement to support initiatives contributing to the preservation and continuation of Telepuk.

Because an impression can remain on cloth for generations, but the ability to make the next one has to be passed on.

The Story Continues

A piece of gold leaf.
A carved block.
A royal garment.
Seventy-seven woodblocks.
Wembley.
The V&A.
An artisan's hands.
A pewter impression.
A new generation discovering the story.
One impression has led to another.
And another.

TELEPUK

THE IMPRINT OF HERITAGE

Objects preserve part of the story.
Knowledge carries it forward.

An Impression in Gold

Telepuk is a textile gilding practice in which gold leaf is applied to cloth using intricately carved blocks known as sarang telepuk.

The cloth is first prepared until smooth and lustrous. A carved block transfers a thin layer of adhesive onto its surface. Gold leaf is then applied and the excess carefully brushed away.

And the motif appears.

• One impression follows another.
• A flower.
• A tendril.
• A geometric form.

Repeated across the cloth, individual motifs come together as borders, panels and fields of gold.

Every field of gold begins with an impression.

A Language of Motifs

Look closely and each pattern carries its own identity.

From a single carved form, a field of pattern unfolds.

Dressed in Gold

Telepuk has long been associated with royal and ceremonial dress.

The garments gathered for Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage allow this relationship to be seen across different periods.

Among them is a Baju Sikap associated with Sultan Sir Abdul Samad, dating to approximately the mid-19th century and offering a glimpse into royal dress from more than 170 years ago.

Alongside it are garments associated with the Selangor royal household today.

These include a Telepuk kebaya featuring the Bunga Tanjung Pecah Sembilan motif worn by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Hajah Norashikin.

Across generations, the garments change, but the relationship between pattern, making and ceremony continues.

77 Woodblocks

A story that travelled far from Selangor

In the early 1920s, a group of 77 Telepuk woodblocks associated with Sultan Sir Ala'eddin Suleiman Shah Ibni Raja Muda Musa, Sultan of Selangor, became part of a journey that would take them to London.

Each block carried a carved motif.
Each was made to leave an impression.

In 1924 and 1925, the group was displayed at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley.

When the exhibition ended, the blocks remained in London.

They subsequently entered the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where they have been preserved for almost a century.

The carved surfaces remain.
The patterns remain.
And through them, another part of the Telepuk story remains visible.

Almost a Century Later

For Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage, Royal Selangor returned to this group of woodblocks as a source of study and inspiration.

Not to recreate Telepuk, but to look closely at the forms from which its impressions began.

Selected motifs from the V&A collection were interpreted through a material familiar to Royal Selangor.

Pewter.

A motif once carved in wood and intended to be transferred onto cloth now takes another form.

The connection lies in the impression.

From Wood to Gold to Pewter

For more than 140 years, Royal Selangor has worked with pewter through the knowledge of designers, craftspeople and makers.

In this collaboration with the V&A, that experience meets the carved vocabulary of Telepuk.

The result is a collection that connects objects from the past with making in the present.

The Telepuk Collection

In Collaboration with the V&A

The Telepuk Collector's Set

Six motifs. Six impressions.

The Telepuk Collector's Set brings together six pewter interpretations inspired by woodblocks in the V&A collection.

Each piece captures the impression of an individual motif, translating a form originally intended to be stamped onto fabric into an object that can be held, studied and appreciated.

The form, relief and intricate character of the original woodcarvings have been retained in pewter.

Each piece is mounted on a wooden backing, acknowledging the material from which the original blocks were made.

Presented together in a specially designed wooden box, the six pieces bring the viewer closer to the carved forms from which Telepuk impressions begin.

A century separates the objects, but the motif connects them.

Telepuk Coasters

The collection continues with two pewter coasters inspired by selected Telepuk motifs from the V&A collection.

The Heritage Telepuk Floral Motifs Coaster brings together jasmine, mangosteen calyx and clove motifs in an intricate composition.

The Heritage Telepuk Awan Larat Coaster features lotus, awan larat, cloud and wave forms.

Rendered in pewter, both bring the visual language of the carved motifs into objects for everyday life.

What once began as an impression upon cloth is encountered again through metal.

Beyond the Object

The story of Telepuk cannot be told through surviving objects alone.

A woodblock can be preserved. A textile can be conserved. A garment can be placed in a collection. But the knowledge of how to make them lives with people.

How the cloth is prepared. How the block is carved. How it is placed. How fragile gold leaf is handled. How one impression follows another.

Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage therefore also recognises the artisans, researchers and advocates who continue to study, practise, document and share the craft.

Because the continuation of a tradition depends not only on what survives.
It also depends on what is still known.

The Hand of the Maker

Among the stories represented in the exhibition is that of the late Adiguru Norhaiza Noordin, one of Malaysia's foremost traditional woodcarvers and a Tokoh Kraf Negara.

Together, they offer insight into a life spent studying, practising and transmitting the knowledge of traditional woodcarving and motifs. They also remind us that behind every carved pattern is a pair of hands.

And behind those hands, years of knowledge.

Gold. Tin. A New Material Question.

Royal Selangor's exploration did not stop with pewter.

As part of the programme, the team also studied what might happen when tin leaf is applied through the Telepuk process.

This research is not intended to replace the traditional use of gold leaf. Instead, it brings Royal Selangor's knowledge of metal into conversation with an established textile technique.

The process remains recognisable. The material changes. And with it, the way the surface responds to light.

It is an exploration of material, process and possibility.

A Story Brought Together

On 27 August 2026, the story came together at the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre in Kuala Lumpur with the official launch of Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage.

The exhibition was graciously launched by His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, Sultan of Selangor, accompanied by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Hajah Norashikin.

The occasion was also graced by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, and His Highness the Raja Muda of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah ibni Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj.

For one morning, objects and stories from different periods stood side by side.

Historic garments.
Carved woodblocks.
Telepuk textiles.
The work of artisans.
Research into materials.
And new objects shaped in pewter.

It was not simply a presentation of objects, but also was an opportunity to see how the different chapters of Telepuk's story remain connected.

Stories Told Through Gold

The exhibition brings together garments, woodblocks, fabrics, archival references, material studies and the people connected with the continuing practice and study of Telepuk.

Each object reveals another part of the story.

Together, they allow Telepuk to be encountered not simply as a finished textile, but through the materials, tools, skills and knowledge behind its making.

Experience the Story

Visitors can also encounter selected Telepuk motifs through Royal Selangor's own craft experiences.

At the School of Hard Knocks, a special-edition pewter bowl features motifs inspired by historic Telepuk blocks in the V&A collection.

At The Foundry, selected motifs from the same collection have been adapted into moulds that visitors can cast as a necklace or keychain.

Different materials. Different techniques. Another way to understand the relationship between pattern and making.

Keeping the Craft Alive

The objects tell us where a craft has been. People determine where it goes next.

For Royal Selangor, preserving craft means more than preserving the objects that remain. It also means supporting the knowledge and people that allow making to continue.

20% of the net proceeds from each Telepuk Collector's Set sold will be contributed to Langkasuka Movement to support initiatives contributing to the preservation and continuation of Telepuk.

Because an impression can remain on cloth for generations, but the ability to make the next one has to be passed on.

The Story Continues

A piece of gold leaf.
A carved block.
A royal garment.
Seventy-seven woodblocks.
Wembley.
The V&A.
An artisan's hands.
A pewter impression.
A new generation discovering the story.
One impression has led to another.
And another.

TELEPUK

THE IMPRINT OF HERITAGE

Objects preserve part of the story.
Knowledge carries it forward.

An Impression in Gold

Telepuk is a textile gilding practice in which gold leaf is applied to cloth using intricately carved blocks known as sarang telepuk.

The cloth is first prepared until smooth and lustrous. A carved block transfers a thin layer of adhesive onto its surface. Gold leaf is then applied and the excess carefully brushed away.

And the motif appears.

• One impression follows another.
• A flower.
• A tendril.
• A geometric form.

Repeated across the cloth, individual motifs come together as borders, panels and fields of gold.

Every field of gold begins with an impression.

A Language of Motifs

Look closely and each pattern carries its own identity.

From a single carved form, a field of pattern unfolds.

Dressed in Gold

Telepuk has long been associated with royal and ceremonial dress.

The garments gathered for Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage allow this relationship to be seen across different periods.

Among them is a Baju Sikap associated with Sultan Sir Abdul Samad, dating to approximately the mid-19th century and offering a glimpse into royal dress from more than 170 years ago.

Alongside it are garments associated with the Selangor royal household today.

These include a Telepuk kebaya featuring the Bunga Tanjung Pecah Sembilan motif worn by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Hajah Norashikin.

Across generations, the garments change, but the relationship between pattern, making and ceremony continues.

77 Woodblocks

A story that travelled far from Selangor

In the early 1920s, a group of 77 Telepuk woodblocks associated with Sultan Sir Ala'eddin Suleiman Shah Ibni Raja Muda Musa, Sultan of Selangor, became part of a journey that would take them to London.

Each block carried a carved motif.
Each was made to leave an impression.

In 1924 and 1925, the group was displayed at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley.

When the exhibition ended, the blocks remained in London.

They subsequently entered the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where they have been preserved for almost a century.

The carved surfaces remain.
The patterns remain.
And through them, another part of the Telepuk story remains visible.

Almost a Century Later

For Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage, Royal Selangor returned to this group of woodblocks as a source of study and inspiration.

Not to recreate Telepuk, but to look closely at the forms from which its impressions began.

Selected motifs from the V&A collection were interpreted through a material familiar to Royal Selangor.

Pewter.

A motif once carved in wood and intended to be transferred onto cloth now takes another form.

The connection lies in the impression.

From Wood to Gold to Pewter

For more than 140 years, Royal Selangor has worked with pewter through the knowledge of designers, craftspeople and makers.

In this collaboration with the V&A, that experience meets the carved vocabulary of Telepuk.

The result is a collection that connects objects from the past with making in the present.

The Telepuk Collection

In Collaboration with the V&A

The Telepuk Collector's Set

Six motifs. Six impressions.

The Telepuk Collector's Set brings together six pewter interpretations inspired by woodblocks in the V&A collection.

Each piece captures the impression of an individual motif, translating a form originally intended to be stamped onto fabric into an object that can be held, studied and appreciated.

The form, relief and intricate character of the original woodcarvings have been retained in pewter.

Each piece is mounted on a wooden backing, acknowledging the material from which the original blocks were made.

Presented together in a specially designed wooden box, the six pieces bring the viewer closer to the carved forms from which Telepuk impressions begin.

Bunga Melati
Bunga Tanjung Pecah Lapan
Bunga Tanjung Pecah Lapan
Bunga Cengkih
Awan Larat
Pucuk Rebung

A century separates the objects, but the motif connects them.

Telepuk Coasters

The collection continues with two pewter coasters inspired by selected Telepuk motifs from the V&A collection.

The Heritage Telepuk Floral Motifs Coaster brings together jasmine, mangosteen calyx and clove motifs in an intricate composition.

The Heritage Telepuk Awan Larat Coaster features lotus, awan larat, cloud and wave forms.

Rendered in pewter, both bring the visual language of the carved motifs into objects for everyday life.

What once began as an impression upon cloth is encountered again through metal.

Beyond the Object

The story of Telepuk cannot be told through surviving objects alone.

A woodblock can be preserved. A textile can be conserved. A garment can be placed in a collection. But the knowledge of how to make them lives with people.

How the cloth is prepared. How the block is carved. How it is placed. How fragile gold leaf is handled. How one impression follows another.

Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage therefore also recognises the artisans, researchers and advocates who continue to study, practise, document and share the craft.

Because the continuation of a tradition depends not only on what survives.
It also depends on what is still known.

The Hand of the Maker

Among the stories represented in the exhibition is that of the late Adiguru Norhaiza Noordin, one of Malaysia's foremost traditional woodcarvers and a Tokoh Kraf Negara.

Together, they offer insight into a life spent studying, practising and transmitting the knowledge of traditional woodcarving and motifs. They also remind us that behind every carved pattern is a pair of hands.

And behind those hands, years of knowledge.

Gold. Tin. A New Material Question.

Royal Selangor's exploration did not stop with pewter.

As part of the programme, the team also studied what might happen when tin leaf is applied through the Telepuk process.

This research is not intended to replace the traditional use of gold leaf. Instead, it brings Royal Selangor's knowledge of metal into conversation with an established textile technique.

The process remains recognisable. The material changes. And with it, the way the surface responds to light.

It is an exploration of material, process and possibility.

A Story Brought Together

On 27 August 2026, the story came together at the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre in Kuala Lumpur with the official launch of Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage.

The exhibition was graciously launched by His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, Sultan of Selangor, accompanied by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Hajah Norashikin.

The occasion was also graced by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, and His Highness the Raja Muda of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah ibni Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj.

For one morning, objects and stories from different periods stood side by side.

Historic garments.
Carved woodblocks.
Telepuk textiles.
The work of artisans.
Research into materials.
And new objects shaped in pewter.

It was not simply a presentation of objects, but also was an opportunity to see how the different chapters of Telepuk's story remain connected.

Stories Told Through Gold

The exhibition brings together garments, woodblocks, fabrics, archival references, material studies and the people connected with the continuing practice and study of Telepuk.

Each object reveals another part of the story.

Together, they allow Telepuk to be encountered not simply as a finished textile, but through the materials, tools, skills and knowledge behind its making.

Experience the Story

Visitors can also encounter selected Telepuk motifs through Royal Selangor's own craft experiences.

At the School of Hard Knocks, a special-edition pewter bowl features motifs inspired by historic Telepuk blocks in the V&A collection.

At The Foundry, selected motifs from the same collection have been adapted into moulds that visitors can cast as a necklace or keychain.

Different materials. Different techniques. Another way to understand the relationship between pattern and making.

Keeping the Craft Alive

The objects tell us where a craft has been. People determine where it goes next.

For Royal Selangor, preserving craft means more than preserving the objects that remain. It also means supporting the knowledge and people that allow making to continue.

20% of the net proceeds from each Telepuk Collector's Set sold will be contributed to Langkasuka Movement to support initiatives contributing to the preservation and continuation of Telepuk.

Because an impression can remain on cloth for generations, but the ability to make the next one has to be passed on.

The Story Continues

A piece of gold leaf.
A carved block.
A royal garment.
Seventy-seven woodblocks.
Wembley.
The V&A.
An artisan's hands.
A pewter impression.
A new generation discovering the story.
One impression has led to another.
And another.

TELEPUK

THE IMPRINT OF HERITAGE

Objects preserve part of the story.
Knowledge carries it forward.

An Impression in Gold

Telepuk is a textile gilding practice in which gold leaf is applied to cloth using intricately carved blocks known as sarang telepuk.

The cloth is first prepared until smooth and lustrous. A carved block transfers a thin layer of adhesive onto its surface. Gold leaf is then applied and the excess carefully brushed away.

And the motif appears.

• One impression follows another.
• A flower.
• A tendril.
• A geometric form.

Repeated across the cloth, individual motifs come together as borders, panels and fields of gold.

Every field of gold begins with an impression.

A Language of Motifs

Look closely and each pattern carries its own identity.

From a single carved form, a field of pattern unfolds.

Dressed in Gold

Telepuk has long been associated with royal and ceremonial dress.

The garments gathered for Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage allow this relationship to be seen across different periods.

Among them is a Baju Sikap associated with Sultan Sir Abdul Samad, dating to approximately the mid-19th century and offering a glimpse into royal dress from more than 170 years ago.

Alongside it are garments associated with the Selangor royal household today.

These include a Telepuk kebaya featuring the Bunga Tanjung Pecah Sembilan motif worn by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Hajah Norashikin.

Across generations, the garments change, but the relationship between pattern, making and ceremony continues.

77 Woodblocks

A story that travelled far from Selangor

In the early 1920s, a group of 77 Telepuk woodblocks associated with Sultan Sir Ala'eddin Suleiman Shah Ibni Raja Muda Musa, Sultan of Selangor, became part of a journey that would take them to London.

Each block carried a carved motif.
Each was made to leave an impression.

In 1924 and 1925, the group was displayed at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley.

When the exhibition ended, the blocks remained in London.

They subsequently entered the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where they have been preserved for almost a century.

The carved surfaces remain.
The patterns remain.
And through them, another part of the Telepuk story remains visible.

Almost a Century Later

For Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage, Royal Selangor returned to this group of woodblocks as a source of study and inspiration.

Not to recreate Telepuk, but to look closely at the forms from which its impressions began.

Selected motifs from the V&A collection were interpreted through a material familiar to Royal Selangor.

Pewter.

A motif once carved in wood and intended to be transferred onto cloth now takes another form.

The connection lies in the impression.

From Wood to Gold to Pewter

For more than 140 years, Royal Selangor has worked with pewter through the knowledge of designers, craftspeople and makers.

In this collaboration with the V&A, that experience meets the carved vocabulary of Telepuk.

The result is a collection that connects objects from the past with making in the present.

The Telepuk Collection

In Collaboration with the V&A

The Telepuk Collector's Set

Six motifs. Six impressions.

The Telepuk Collector's Set brings together six pewter interpretations inspired by woodblocks in the V&A collection.

Each piece captures the impression of an individual motif, translating a form originally intended to be stamped onto fabric into an object that can be held, studied and appreciated.

The form, relief and intricate character of the original woodcarvings have been retained in pewter.

Each piece is mounted on a wooden backing, acknowledging the material from which the original blocks were made.

Presented together in a specially designed wooden box, the six pieces bring the viewer closer to the carved forms from which Telepuk impressions begin.

A century separates the objects, but the motif connects them.

Telepuk Coasters

The collection continues with two pewter coasters inspired by selected Telepuk motifs from the V&A collection.

The Heritage Telepuk Floral Motifs Coaster brings together jasmine, mangosteen calyx and clove motifs in an intricate composition.

The Heritage Telepuk Awan Larat Coaster features lotus, awan larat, cloud and wave forms.

Rendered in pewter, both bring the visual language of the carved motifs into objects for everyday life.

What once began as an impression upon cloth is encountered again through metal.

Beyond the Object

The story of Telepuk cannot be told through surviving objects alone.

A woodblock can be preserved. A textile can be conserved. A garment can be placed in a collection. But the knowledge of how to make them lives with people.

How the cloth is prepared. How the block is carved. How it is placed. How fragile gold leaf is handled. How one impression follows another.

Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage therefore also recognises the artisans, researchers and advocates who continue to study, practise, document and share the craft.

Because the continuation of a tradition depends not only on what survives.
It also depends on what is still known.

The Hand of the Maker

Among the stories represented in the exhibition is that of the late Adiguru Norhaiza Noordin, one of Malaysia's foremost traditional woodcarvers and a Tokoh Kraf Negara.

Together, they offer insight into a life spent studying, practising and transmitting the knowledge of traditional woodcarving and motifs. They also remind us that behind every carved pattern is a pair of hands.

And behind those hands, years of knowledge.

Gold. Tin. A New Material Question.

Royal Selangor's exploration did not stop with pewter.

As part of the programme, the team also studied what might happen when tin leaf is applied through the Telepuk process.

This research is not intended to replace the traditional use of gold leaf. Instead, it brings Royal Selangor's knowledge of metal into conversation with an established textile technique.

The process remains recognisable. The material changes. And with it, the way the surface responds to light.

It is an exploration of material, process and possibility.

A Story Brought Together

On 27 August 2026, the story came together at the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre in Kuala Lumpur with the official launch of Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage.

The exhibition was graciously launched by His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, Sultan of Selangor, accompanied by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Hajah Norashikin.

The occasion was also graced by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, and His Highness the Raja Muda of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah ibni Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj.

For one morning, objects and stories from different periods stood side by side.

Historic garments.
Carved woodblocks.
Telepuk textiles.
The work of artisans.
Research into materials.
And new objects shaped in pewter.

It was not simply a presentation of objects, but also was an opportunity to see how the different chapters of Telepuk's story remain connected.

Stories Told Through Gold

The exhibition brings together garments, woodblocks, fabrics, archival references, material studies and the people connected with the continuing practice and study of Telepuk.

Each object reveals another part of the story.

Together, they allow Telepuk to be encountered not simply as a finished textile, but through the materials, tools, skills and knowledge behind its making.

Experience the Story

Visitors can also encounter selected Telepuk motifs through Royal Selangor's own craft experiences.

At the School of Hard Knocks, a special-edition pewter bowl features motifs inspired by historic Telepuk blocks in the V&A collection.

At The Foundry, selected motifs from the same collection have been adapted into moulds that visitors can cast as a necklace or keychain.

Different materials. Different techniques. Another way to understand the relationship between pattern and making.

Keeping the Craft Alive

The objects tell us where a craft has been. People determine where it goes next.

For Royal Selangor, preserving craft means more than preserving the objects that remain. It also means supporting the knowledge and people that allow making to continue.

20% of the net proceeds from each Telepuk Collector's Set sold will be contributed to Langkasuka Movement to support initiatives contributing to the preservation and continuation of Telepuk.

Because an impression can remain on cloth for generations, but the ability to make the next one has to be passed on.

The Story Continues

A piece of gold leaf.
A carved block.
A royal garment.
Seventy-seven woodblocks.
Wembley.
The V&A.
An artisan's hands.
A pewter impression.
A new generation discovering the story.
One impression has led to another.
And another.

TELEPUK

THE IMPRINT OF HERITAGE

Objects preserve part of the story.
Knowledge carries it forward.

An Impression in Gold

Telepuk is a textile gilding practice in which gold leaf is applied to cloth using intricately carved blocks known as sarang telepuk.

The cloth is first prepared until smooth and lustrous. A carved block transfers a thin layer of adhesive onto its surface. Gold leaf is then applied and the excess carefully brushed away.

And the motif appears.

• One impression follows another.
• A flower.
• A tendril.
• A geometric form.

Repeated across the cloth, individual motifs come together as borders, panels and fields of gold.

Every field of gold begins with an impression.

A Language of Motifs

Look closely and each pattern carries its own identity.

From a single carved form, a field of pattern unfolds.

Dressed in Gold

Telepuk has long been associated with royal and ceremonial dress.

The garments gathered for Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage allow this relationship to be seen across different periods.

Among them is a Baju Sikap associated with Sultan Sir Abdul Samad, dating to approximately the mid-19th century and offering a glimpse into royal dress from more than 170 years ago.

Alongside it are garments associated with the Selangor royal household today.

These include a Telepuk kebaya featuring the Bunga Tanjung Pecah Sembilan motif worn by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Hajah Norashikin.

Across generations, the garments change, but the relationship between pattern, making and ceremony continues.

77 Woodblocks

A story that travelled far from Selangor

In the early 1920s, a group of 77 Telepuk woodblocks associated with Sultan Sir Ala'eddin Suleiman Shah Ibni Raja Muda Musa, Sultan of Selangor, became part of a journey that would take them to London.

Each block carried a carved motif.
Each was made to leave an impression.

In 1924 and 1925, the group was displayed at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley.

When the exhibition ended, the blocks remained in London.

They subsequently entered the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where they have been preserved for almost a century.

The carved surfaces remain.
The patterns remain.
And through them, another part of the Telepuk story remains visible.

Almost a Century Later

For Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage, Royal Selangor returned to this group of woodblocks as a source of study and inspiration.

Not to recreate Telepuk, but to look closely at the forms from which its impressions began.

Selected motifs from the V&A collection were interpreted through a material familiar to Royal Selangor.

Pewter.

A motif once carved in wood and intended to be transferred onto cloth now takes another form.

The connection lies in the impression.

From Wood to Gold to Pewter

For more than 140 years, Royal Selangor has worked with pewter through the knowledge of designers, craftspeople and makers.

In this collaboration with the V&A, that experience meets the carved vocabulary of Telepuk.

The result is a collection that connects objects from the past with making in the present.

The Telepuk Collection

In Collaboration with the V&A

The Telepuk Collector's Set

Six motifs. Six impressions.

The Telepuk Collector's Set brings together six pewter interpretations inspired by woodblocks in the V&A collection.

Each piece captures the impression of an individual motif, translating a form originally intended to be stamped onto fabric into an object that can be held, studied and appreciated.

The form, relief and intricate character of the original woodcarvings have been retained in pewter.

Each piece is mounted on a wooden backing, acknowledging the material from which the original blocks were made.

Presented together in a specially designed wooden box, the six pieces bring the viewer closer to the carved forms from which Telepuk impressions begin.

A century separates the objects, but the motif connects them.

Telepuk Coasters

The collection continues with two pewter coasters inspired by selected Telepuk motifs from the V&A collection.

The Heritage Telepuk Floral Motifs Coaster brings together jasmine, mangosteen calyx and clove motifs in an intricate composition.

The Heritage Telepuk Awan Larat Coaster features lotus, awan larat, cloud and wave forms.

Rendered in pewter, both bring the visual language of the carved motifs into objects for everyday life.

What once began as an impression upon cloth is encountered again through metal.

Beyond the Object

The story of Telepuk cannot be told through surviving objects alone.

A woodblock can be preserved. A textile can be conserved. A garment can be placed in a collection. But the knowledge of how to make them lives with people.

How the cloth is prepared. How the block is carved. How it is placed. How fragile gold leaf is handled. How one impression follows another.

Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage therefore also recognises the artisans, researchers and advocates who continue to study, practise, document and share the craft.

Because the continuation of a tradition depends not only on what survives.
It also depends on what is still known.

The Hand of the Maker

Among the stories represented in the exhibition is that of the late Adiguru Norhaiza Noordin, one of Malaysia's foremost traditional woodcarvers and a Tokoh Kraf Negara.

Together, they offer insight into a life spent studying, practising and transmitting the knowledge of traditional woodcarving and motifs. They also remind us that behind every carved pattern is a pair of hands.

And behind those hands, years of knowledge.

Gold. Tin. A New Material Question.

Royal Selangor's exploration did not stop with pewter.

As part of the programme, the team also studied what might happen when tin leaf is applied through the Telepuk process.

This research is not intended to replace the traditional use of gold leaf. Instead, it brings Royal Selangor's knowledge of metal into conversation with an established textile technique.

The process remains recognisable. The material changes. And with it, the way the surface responds to light.

It is an exploration of material, process and possibility.

A Story Brought Together

On 27 August 2026, the story came together at the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre in Kuala Lumpur with the official launch of Telepuk: The Imprint of Heritage.

The exhibition was graciously launched by His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, Sultan of Selangor, accompanied by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Hajah Norashikin.

The occasion was also graced by Her Royal Highness the Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, and His Highness the Raja Muda of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah ibni Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj.

For one morning, objects and stories from different periods stood side by side.

Historic garments.
Carved woodblocks.
Telepuk textiles.
The work of artisans.
Research into materials.
And new objects shaped in pewter.

It was not simply a presentation of objects, but also was an opportunity to see how the different chapters of Telepuk's story remain connected.

Stories Told Through Gold

The exhibition brings together garments, woodblocks, fabrics, archival references, material studies and the people connected with the continuing practice and study of Telepuk.

Each object reveals another part of the story.

Together, they allow Telepuk to be encountered not simply as a finished textile, but through the materials, tools, skills and knowledge behind its making.

Experience the Story

Visitors can also encounter selected Telepuk motifs through Royal Selangor's own craft experiences.

At the School of Hard Knocks, a special-edition pewter bowl features motifs inspired by historic Telepuk blocks in the V&A collection.

At The Foundry, selected motifs from the same collection have been adapted into moulds that visitors can cast as a necklace or keychain.

Different materials. Different techniques. Another way to understand the relationship between pattern and making.

Keeping the Craft Alive

The objects tell us where a craft has been. People determine where it goes next.

For Royal Selangor, preserving craft means more than preserving the objects that remain. It also means supporting the knowledge and people that allow making to continue.

20% of the net proceeds from each Telepuk Collector's Set sold will be contributed to Langkasuka Movement to support initiatives contributing to the preservation and continuation of Telepuk.

Because an impression can remain on cloth for generations, but the ability to make the next one has to be passed on.

The Story Continues

A piece of gold leaf.
A carved block.
A royal garment.
Seventy-seven woodblocks.
Wembley.
The V&A.
An artisan's hands.
A pewter impression.
A new generation discovering the story.
One impression has led to another.
And another.

TELEPUK

THE IMPRINT OF HERITAGE

Objects preserve part of the story.
Knowledge carries it forward.