Indian Tikka Container on Plinth

Two small cups on a lotus-petal base, patient as a pair of bells.

This tikka container on a plinth was made in India in bronze in the 19th century. Tikka is the colored powder or paste applied to the forehead, and small paired cups like these are commonly used to hold it. Two smooth flared cups rise on slim stems from a long rectangular platform. The base is pierced with a row of pointed petals along its edge. The bronze is a bright polished gold with hints of reddish metal showing through.

About two inches tall and three long. A tidy trinket, ideal for a desk.