Indian Wood Tikka Box

Red, crackled, and capped with an acorn finial, this little lidded jar has texture to spare.

This painted wooden tikka box from Maharashtra is from Maharashtra, India, and dates to the late 19th or early 20th century. It is painted wood. Kumkum, a red powder, is commonly used for tikka and is often kept in small containers placed near a household shrine. Small round-shouldered canister with a domed lid and a pointed knob. The lower body is covered in a fine red network of cracks, while the lid has a smooth, glossy dark red finish. It is 4 inches high and 2.5 in diameter.

A tiny jar in a very fine red coat.