This gold tobacco box with a chain is in the shape of a cross and is decorated with floral motifs done in figured appliqué. Peranakan Chinese jewellery from Indonesia, such as this, is distinctive in its display of figured appliqué. This technique called for small, pre-shaped pieces of metal to be soldered onto a metal base so as to build up complex decorative schemes. This allowed for the production of highly flamboyant ornaments that could not be achieved through other techniques. Chinese smiths brought this technique to the far-flung corners of the archipelago and, along with it, introduced the rich symbolic repertoire of Chinese inspirations, but always filtered through the lens of local Indonesian culture.
