The brass kettle was probably used for ceremonial display. It could also have been used for washing hands before and after meals. According to Minangkabau custom, traditional ceremonial feasts are set on the floor of a room and meals are consumed while sitting on a floor covering. Kettles of this type were designed with a solid raised base to stand firmly on the floor. Edward Richard Jacobson (1870–1944) was a businessman from Frankfurt, whose collection of Minangkabau brassware was comprehensive. Between 1931 and 1932, the Raffles Library and Museum purchased from Jacobson many Minangkabau household and ceremonial items.
