Antique Betel Nut Box

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$375.00

Quantity Available: 1

A sturdy little coffer for storing and heating betel nuts and the lime necessary for chewing them, this fine brass work, approximately 5-1/4 inches by 2-1/2 inches by two inches high, is nicely punched and engraved with designs of trailing foliage and geometric patterns. Raised framing has been filed to suggest rope-work.. It is easy to see how this form influenced the design of early Dutch tobacco boxes. The two metal inside dividers are missing, but the piece retains its push button lock. Superb condition, late Eighteenth or early Nineteenth Century.