This stacked ceremonial container is known as a ‘tenong’, and it is used in marriage ceremonies. They were considered a female contribution to the bridal chamber and would have been used to store food as well as textiles and jewellery. This particular piece is the topmost part of the set and is carved in the style of a lotus flower. It is primarily black with gold gliding in typical Palembang fashion. It would have rested above another flat-topped container that was similar in decoration. Palembang has long been an important centre for trade and has attracted people from both within and outside Southeast Asia. Among them were many Chinese immigrants who intermarried with the local population and contributed to a hybrid culture with Malay, Minangkabau and Chinese features.
