Indian Wood Tikka Box

Two-tone and turned smooth, with a lid that sits like a polished helmet.

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. Maharashtra has a long tradition of woodworking, with lathe-turned and painted wooden objects made for household and devotional use. Lathe-turned lidded jar with a bulbous cap topped by a small, flared knob. The upper half is deep glossy mahogany, fading to pale bare tan at the bottom, with a few faint grooves. It is 4 inches high and 2.75 in diameter.

Handsome from the top, honest at the feet.