lokub (Container)

Lokub was a bamboo tube used in the mid-19th century for storing betel nuts, pepper leaves, or tobacco leaves. Presently, the tubes are used as flower vases and pencil holders. The geometric decorative designs on the exterior of the tube are thought to have been influenced by woven designs. The production of a lokub is jointly male and female; males select, prepare the tubes for decoration, and sell them; females create and execute the decorative designs.

storage

Cylindrical bamboo tube in two parts: top (part b) slides into the bottom (part a). The cylinder tapers towards both ends, each of which has a concave depression. A plaited loop is inserted in the centre of the top (part b) and is knotted on the interior. The design and the foot and the rim have been painted black. Geometric designs and scenes are incised on the sides. The bottom (part a) is bordered by a horizontal band at either end which each has a different geometric design with triangular variations. In between these bands, the main scene consists of one human on a horse, two humans on a horse, and other animals around them including horses, fish, and a pig-like creature. The top (part b) has two horizontal bands, the top band of which has semi-circles and the bottom one of which has triangles.