This wooden stand was likely to have been used as a stand for a censor, and placed in a prominent position on an altar. It consists of three platforms, each framed by borders decorated with abstract vegetal designs in mother-of-pearl. Despite the adoption of numerous Malay cultural practices, such as language and dress, the religion practiced by the Peranakans was essentially a traditional Chinese form, which was polytheistic in nature and incorporated elements of ancestor worship, Buddhism and Taoism. Blackwood furniture with mother-of-pearl inlays was extremely popular with wealthy Peranakans in the 19th century.
