This is a mould for making the body of Zhongtan Yuanshuai 中坛元帅 (‘Marshal of the Central Altar’), which is the Daoist title of the Chinese guardian deity Nezha. The head would have been crafted separately by hand. The mould was made by the second-generation owner, Mr Tay Yong Poh, of the local joss stick manufacturer Tay Guan Heng. The figural decoration that was created from the mould would then be applied onto the body of large joss sticks. Moulds were introduced into the production process as manpower became scarcer in the later years of the business.
