This rare wooden carriage was likely used as part a Chinese Peranakan ceremony known as Tedun in Central Java. Its shape is reminiscent of European horse-drawn carriages. It has a top that is supported by four tubular pillars. Its surface is carved, gilded and lacquered with motifs inspired by Javanese and Chinese cultures. These include Javanese-style scrolling foliage, and Chinese mythical animals, qilin and phoenix. Tedun is an important ceremony that marks either the child’s first year or when the child begins to walk. During the ceremony, the child will be seated in this carriage and taken around a chicken cage three times. The child then selects object(s) from the cage that symbolically represent(s), and pre-dict(s) his/her personality and interests.
