This is part of a group of 12 miniature ceramic objects including a teapot with loop handle, a decoction pot, a dish, a bucket, a wok, a container lid, jars and other vessels. They were recovered from the grave of Mr Zhang Jiaren 張家仁 (alias Shoushan 寿山) from Qiongzhou 瓊州, now Qiongshan, Hainan. He had passed away in 1938. The practice of burying everyday objects (including miniaturised versions) with the deceased originated in ancient China and continued to be observed by overseas Chinese communities. These objects were intended to satisfy the needs of the deceased and/or provide them with a comfortable afterlife. Located in the central part of Singapore, Bukit Brown Cemetery was officially opened on 1 January 1922 by the British colonial government as a public cemetery for non-Christian Chinese. It came to house an estimated 100,000 graves before it was officially closed to burials in 1973.
