This ornately carved wardrobe is called a 'leng hong tu', which translates to dragon phoenix cupboard. The name refers not to the motifs - which are auspicious 'singa' or carved lion motifs but to the bride and bridegroom. Such cupboards were often commissioned in pairs and were not identical but complementary. This cupboard is an example of one made for a bridegroom. It would have been used for storing his clothes after marriage. The cupboard was made locally in Penang by Chinese craftsmen, with its surface embellished to simulate wood burl - a technique popular in Penang in the early 20th century. Such surface treatment of teak was also used on other types of wedding furniture, from tables to document safes.
