This white-and-pink glass epergne has four trumpets and three baskets. One trumpet is significantly higher than the other three, while the baskets are nearest to the base. Glass trails are wrapped around the four trumpets. The trumpets and baskets are supported by a floral base with wavy lines. Glass epergnes were used to display flowers and pot-pourri on formal and special occasions such as weddings. They would be placed as center pieces on tables for special feats such as the Tok Panjang (long table feast). They were also put on tea tables in the main halls of traditional Peranakan homes as decorative pieces. Evidence of these could be found in photographs of Peranakan Chinese home settings in the 19th and 20th centuries. Flowers could be placed in the trumpets while pot-pourri made of a variety of local plants could be placed in the bases with wavy lines. They were purchased in this period in Europe by well-to-do Peranakans and reflect the growing colonial influence on the Straits Chinese population.
