This cast kettle in brass, in the form of a dragon, has an unidentified scaly creature on the handle, the head of a peacock and a bird on the flat lid. The kettle was made in Brunei but has Chinese inspired motifs such as the dragons on the body. In Brunei Malay brassware, Chinese-style animals such as dragrons, lizards, frogs, fish and birds are often featured on the exterior of the kettle. Some of these decorative animal motifs such as the dragon and lizard have symbolic meanings related to fertility.Kettles were and are still used today as water containers in Malay weddings to serve water for drinking and for washing of hands and feet.Brunei was a renowned centre for ornate brassware until the 16th century. However, brass production began to decline from the 19th century due to competition from European imported goods.An important commercial centre, Brunei had trading links in Southeast Asia, Middle East and China. The production of brassware reflect similarities in techniques, forms and decorations of these cultural traditions.
