This red and black lacquer ceremonial container is known as a tenong and it is used in marriage ceremonies to store food as well as textiles and jewellery. It could have been carved by ethnic Malays but lacquered and decorated by Chinese craftsmen based in Palembang. Palembang has long been an important centre for trade and has attracted people from both within and outside Southeast Asia. Many Chinese immigrants intermarried with the local population creating a hybrid culture evident in objects like this.
