Indian Wood Tikka Box

Plump dome lid, no knob, and a body that swells like a stout mushroom.

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. Rounded dome lid without a knob sits atop a tall, slightly tapering body. The surface is a deep reddish-brown with a worn, patchy finish and a shiny top. Small nicks mark the base. It is 3.75 inches high and 2.5 in diameter.

Smooth-headed and not at all embarrassed.