Indian Wood Tikka Box

Lumpy-lidded and cracked at the shoulders, this jar has weathered its opinions well.

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 with a tall knob and a narrow base ridge sits over a bell-shaped body. The dark finish is crazed across the lid and body, with red showing through in places. The knob has a scuffed, flat top. It is 4 inches high and 2.75 in diameter.

A little crackled, thoroughly characterful, and wearing it well.