The design of this wooden panel is highly representative of Minangkabau woodcarving, showing a geometric lattice filled with floral and vegetal motifs. The format of this panel suggests it would most likely have formed the central panel for an exterior wall on a traditional clan house or ‘rumah gadang’. These often very large houses, with their famed tiered roofs, were often richly ornamented with such carvings. The rumah gadang served as the residence of the family matriarch and her dependents but was also used as a hall for family meetings and ceremonial activities.
