Cambodian Silver Betel Box

Chased Silver Pumpkin-Shaped Betel Box

This fine, well-modelled silver betel box is unmistakably Cambodian, and dates to the earlier part of the 20th century. Shaped as a pumpkin, it separates into a bottom and a top half. It was used to store elements of the betel nut quid, a mild social narcotic.

The sides are of beaten silver and have been punched with a repeated scale-like motif. The base is engraved with a flower-like motif. The top has been set with a thick silver stem and flattened silver wires shaped into leaf-like formations.

The box has a fine patina consistent with age and use.

A similar box is illustrated in Fraser-Lu (1989, p. 58).

Fraser-Lu, S., Silverware of South-East Asia, Oxford University Press, 1989.

UK art market