A newly-circumcised boy would sit on this chair to be presented as a young man, an eligible groom. Prescribed by Islamic law but embellished with local customs, male circumcision is seen as an important rite of passage across Muslim communities in island Southeast Asia. A wide range of elaborate rituals and ceremonies exist but a common thread is the parade or presentation of newly-circumcised boys to society. In Java, circumcision rituals often resemble traditional wedding ceremonies. The central floral motif on the backrest recalls the tree-of-life motif, a core element in Javanese art and cosmology.
