Deux pagaies cérémonielles

Description

wood, polychrome paint,

Paddles like this one were used by young, unmarried court ladies on ceremonial boat trips down the Musi river.

Palembang is one of the oldest cities in the Malay Archipelago and in Southeast Asia. For centuries, the city has been an important trading centre and in the course of this became a melting pot of many cultures. Chinese immigrants in particular left their mark. This would explain the painting of one paddle with the “Yin and Yang” motif, two terms from Chinese philosophy.