Indian Tikka Box, Square

Small dark chest with a pyramid lid, a chain hasp and a lot of scars.

This square painted wood tikka box from Andhra Pradesh is from Andhra Pradesh, Southeast India, and dates to the 19th century. A tikka box holds the colored powder used to mark the forehead in Hindu practice, and such boxes were made in many regions of India. Here, a small square box with a steep, faceted pyramid lid and a row of carved arches around the base. A black chain and hook fasten the front and top. The surface is dark brown, rough, and heavily weathered.

Battered corners and a tidy hasp, well past dignified.