Brunei Brass Betel Box

Engraved Brass Betel Box

This cast brass box of six sides comprises two compartments, each with a hinged lid, and with ring handles on either side and to the top.

Both lids and all sides are engraved with Malay Islamic-inspired foliage motifs and scrollwork arrayed in lozenge patterns on the lids and in broad borders around the sides, which also feature a Chinese-influences key-fret design.

The box most probably was used to hold betel, a mild social stimulant that was chewed widely across Southeast Asia.

The box has obvious age with its wonderful buttery patina.

The box and its designs relate to an example published in Long Roth (1910, p. 282). The Ling Roth example is attributed to Brunei.