Indian Pandan or Lobed and Lidded Betel Nut Box

Ribbed all the way around, like a pumpkin that took up metalwork.

This pandan, or lobed and lidded betel nut box, is from the Madhya Pradesh and Bengal border, India, and dates to the late 19th century. It is brass. Betel nut, or paan, has been chewed across South Asia for centuries, and decorative boxes for its ingredients were common in homes of every kind. This round box is fluted vertically from top to bottom, its lid domed and finished with concentric rings at the center. The ribs line up neatly across the seam between lid and base. The dark brass shows small pale flecks in the grooves. It is 3 inches high and 4.8 in diameter.

Hospitality, in a very tidy package.