Indian Wood Tikka Box

Deep-brown lidded jar shaped like a mushroom cap with a cone of a handle on top.

This carved and painted tikka box is from Maharashtra, India, and dates to the late 19th or early 20th century. It is carved wood & pigment. A tikka is the mark worn on the forehead in Hindu practice, and it is applied in powder or paste made from materials such as vermilion, turmeric or sandalwood. Upright and tall cylindrical body flares slightly at the shoulder, topped by a dome lid with a small pointed knob. The finish is dark, mottled and glossy at the lid with reddish flashes. The lid sits snug over a plain base. It is 4 inches high and 2.75 in diameter.

Mushroom manners, shiny hat, and a snug fit.