Though the Malay telepuk owes its origins from the textile artists residing on the Indian subcontinent, the centuries of adaptation and refinement to local tastes and native cultures has produced an artform that is unique to its own time and place.

The name telepuk itself recalls classical Malay works that idealized the beauty of a lotus in full bloom floating atop a sparkling lake. The name eventually became synonymous with the techniques that produced yards of finely woven silk or cotton textiles that are embellished with delicate gold leaf.

Whether named from the technique or the effect, no doubt a piece of telepuk cloth is a sign of utmost luxury. When mentioned in classical Malay literary works it is almost exclusively used in reference to royal or courtly dress, and the texts would go into detail on the sumptuary laws that dictate its use. Today we refer to these texts as evidence of the longstanding tradition of telepuk cloth in the Malay world, while encouraging its adoption regardless of class or creed.