Burmese Silver Tree of Life Oval Lidded Box

A very fine and large antique Anglo-Indian silver oval shaped locket heavily embossed with three figures dated September 1880. The large hinged locket has an internal recessed compar...

A large and stylish antique Japanese Meiji bronze lidded twin handle urn standing on a rounded plinth base with tongue and grotesque head formed legs with dragon handles and a flat c...

Asian decorative trinket lidded box in metal silvered hammered and etched with organic floral design. Anglo Raj style oval form betel box. Dimensio...

Rajasthani Mughal Decorative Copper Lidded Betel Spice Pandan Caddy Box. Handcrafted decorative North India round metal Asian copper Mughal Raj, Indian lidded , spice, pandan betel box with latch and a top handle. Of dome form with lotus-shaped finial, with spiralling bosse designs, Delicately and intricately hand-chased and hammered with geometric Anglo-Indian designs. Consuming betel leaves with several ingredients such as wet lime paste, katechu, areca nut, cloves and even tobacco leaves has been popular in India from the fourth century AD. The box was probably used to store the betel leaf used in the preparation of paan. Lime paste is mixed with grated areca nut and flavourings and the resulting mixture is rolled in the betel leaf to form a small parcel which can then be chewed. As well as being an integral part of Indian hospitality paan is believed to possess medicinal properties and was also taken as an aphrodisiac. The present box, which was elaborately designed for this purpose, would have been taken out ceremoniously on special occasions. Exquisite conversation museum quality piece with a very nice antique patina. Fine intricate artwork with conical form lid with Moorish pierced designs. Islamic Mughal Indo Persian...