1961.1614 Box, view 1
  • 1961.1614 Box, view 1
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Box (Betel box)

  • Category:

    Organic (ivory, horn, etc.)

  • Place of Origin:

    East Indies, Asia

  • Date:

    1700-1740

  • Materials:

    Tortoise shell (marine turtle); Bone (deer); Silverplate on brass; Brass; Wood

  • Museum Object Number:

    1961.1614


  • Complete Details



Object Number

1961.1614

Object Name

Box (Betel box)

Category

Organic (ivory, horn, etc.)

Credit Line/Donor

Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont

Place of Origin

East Indies, Asia

Origin Notes

Previous creation place identified as England; updated with research in 2021. Very likely made in Sri Lanka/Ceylon or Batavia/Jakarta for the Dutch colonial market.

Date

1700-1740

Subjects

Diplomacy; Apothecary; East India Company (Dutch) association

Materials

Tortoise shell (marine turtle); Bone (deer); Silverplate on brass; Brass; Wood

Dimensions (inches)

3 (H) , 7.9 (L) , 5 (W)

Dimensions (centimeters)

7.5 (H) , 20 (L) , 12.7 (W)

Object Description

Web - 12/22/2021

The thick tortoiseshell veneer, bone edging, and pierced metal mounts on a wooden frame were typical materials and ornament used for sirih (betel nut) boxes in eighteenth-century workshops Dutch Ceylon (Sri Lanka) or Dutch Batavia (Jakarta). Chewing sirih as a social custom incorporated into interactions between leaders from India, Indonesia and the Netherlands. The box’s interior compartments indicate their function as an ornate portable storage container for the ingredients and tools used in sirih preparation. The smaller interior compartment, or till, likely held ingredients such as areca nut, gambir (the dried sap of the star jasmine), and lime. Two pinholes on the interior side indicate a missing hinged lid that once protected the compartment. Tools for preparing the ingredients such as scissors, a small knife, and a spatula could be stored in the larger interior section. This box’s underside preserves evidence of missing attachments; possibly feet or other supports.

In decorative arts, the term "tortoise shell" is commonly used to describe scutes, or plates, of the shell from hawksbill, green, or loggerhead marine turtles.