Probably Sri Lanka, late 18th century
Length 3 1/8 inches, 8 cm

A parcel-gilt lime box of oval form. The sides and top are intricately chased with meandering scrolls and flowers in the rococo taste.

This small but exquisite box is an example of colonial silver at its very finest. The decorative device of scrolling shell motifs is typical of the Dutch taste during the later part of the 18th century, while the pointed leaf and lotus borders are more Asian in style. Similar decorative motifs can be found on Batavian furniture.1 This box was made to contain lime paste to prepare betel nuts for chewing. Betel is an ancient Asian tradition, comparable to tobacco in the western world. It consists of three main ingredients: the areca nut, betel leaf and lime paste. Betel was and is enormously popular throughout Asia and it plays a major role in the entertaining of guests, in courtship and marriage, and in the traditional etiquette of the royal courts, where betel still often forms part of the state regalia2. Sri Lanka has always been an important centre for the production of the equipment used for betel. Given its high quality, it seems likely that this lime box was made either for the Royal court or for a wealthy family.

1 - Veenendaal, J. Furniture from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India during the Dutch period, Delft, 1985
2 - Brownrigg, H. Betel Cutters, Stuttgart, 1991