Buddhism was a major religious influence on Southeast Asia by the 7th to 9th centuries, and influenced material culture in the region. The Srivijaya empire based in Sumatra was an important centre for the spread of Buddhism in the region between the 8th to the 12th centuries, and its influence was thought to extend all the way north of the Malay Peninsula to Kedah.

Sang Nila Utama, the Palembang (Sumatra) prince who set up the first Singapura kingdom in 1299, also styled himself as Sri Tri Buana, or Lord of the Three Worlds in Sanskrit, a variant of a similar Buddhist kingship doctrine that had appeared previously in Bagan (Burma) in the 11th and 12th centuries.

Votive tablets typically bear images of Buddha and of bodhisattvas. Some also have impressed dharami or sacred impressions. They were made by Buddhist monks in order to create merit for themselves. The tablets were believed to bring good fortune and protection to their donor.

Reproduction based on the collection of Asian Civilisations Museum.