Our catalogue > Betel-related Antiques

Betel (also known as paan or sirih) is the palm nut, lime powder & vine leaf quid that traditionally was chewed in South & Southeast Asia and was a social narcotic similar to alcohol or tobacco. The Dutch colonialists particularly also took up the habit. Elaborate boxes for storing betel and other associated paraphernalia were made. This page is reserved for such objects.

Each item is for sale.

Each piece has been sourced from within the UK, often from old, colonial-era collections.

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9033

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    Indian Mughal Brass Pandan

    Mughal, northern India
    17th century

    height: 7.8cm, width: 12.5cm, weight: 882g

    Provenance

    UK art market

    4052

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      Unusually Large, Silver Filigree Betel Box

      Dutch East Indies, or possibly India
      circa 1700

      length: 22.3cm, width: 16cm, height: 10cm, weight: 1,675g

      Provenance

      Private London collection (estate)

      8608

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        Dutch Colonial Ebony & Silver Betel Box

        Batavia, Dutch East Indies (Indonesia)
        first half of the 18th century

        width: 14.8cm, height: 7cm, depth: 10.5cm, weight: 528g

        Provenance

        UK art market

        5891

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          Large, Silver-Inlaid Winged Brass Betel Box (Lutuan)

          Mindanao, Philippines
          late 19th-20th century

          length: 40.6cm, height: 17.1cm, depth: 13.2cm, weight: more than 5000g

          Provenance

          UK art market

          6730

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            Mindanao Brass Betel Box

            Mindanao, The Philippines
            circa 1900

            width: 15.3cm, height: 6.9cm, depth: 8.3cm, weight: 1,135g

            Provenance

            UK art market

            7099

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              Enamelled Silver Pandan

              North India
              circa 1900

              height: 5.3cm, diameter: 6.3cm, weight: 147g

              Provenance

              UK art market

              6528

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                Exceptional Dutch Colonial Tortoiseshell Betel Box with Fine Silver Mounts

                Dutch Colonial East Indies, either Malay, Sumatra or Batavia (Indonesia today)
                18th century

                height: 8.1cm, length: 19cm, depth: 13.3cm

                Provenance

                UK art market

                6578

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                  Dutch Colonial Silver Betel Box & Key

                  Dutch East Indies, probably Batavia
                  18th century

                  width: 14.7cm, depth: 9.9cm, height: 6cm, weight: 586g

                  Provenance

                  UK art market

                  6374

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                    Two Early Thai Bronze Betel Cups

                    Tenasserim region, Thailand/Burma
                    circa 14th-15th century

                    height: 9cm and 4.6cm, combined weight: 349g

                    Provenance

                    private collection, London. Collected in Burma, in Tenasserim in 1933, by Maurice Collis (1889-1973). Collins entered the Indian Civil Service in 1911 & was posted to Burma in 1912. His postings included Sagaing & Arakan. He served as a district magistrate in Rangoon (1929-1930) and thereafter as Excise Commissioner. He returned to England in 1934 and wrote many books including on Burma.

                    6127

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                      Large, Cambodian Silver Hen-Shaped Betel Lime Box

                      Cambodia
                      circa 1920

                      length: 19.5cm, height: 20cm, weight: 611g

                      Provenance

                      UK art market

                      5588

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                        Indian Brass Lime Box for Betel

                        India
                        19th century

                        length: 8.5cm, width: 4.5c,. height: 4.3cm, weight: 177g

                        Provenance

                        UK art market

                        5885

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                          Two Timorese Beaded Lime Containers

                          Atoni or Dawan people of West Timor, Indonesia
                          early 20th century

                          lengths (without tassels): 10.5cm

                          Provenance

                          formerly in the collection of Henry Brownrigg, author of a book on the betel cutters in the Samuel Eilenberg Collection

                          4823

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                            Fine, West Java Woven Betel Container

                            Singaparna region, West Java, Indonesia
                            late 19th century-early 20th century

                            height: 13.5cm, diameter: 12cm

                            Provenance

                            private collection, UK.

                            5533

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                              Dutch Colonial Silver Betel Box

                              Dutch East Indies, probably Batavia
                              18th century

                              length: 17.7cm, height: 7.1cm, depth: 12.3cm, weight: 975g

                              Provenance

                              UK art market

                              3791

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                                Dutch Colonial Betel Box of Amboyna Wood & Pierced Silver Mounts

                                Batavia, Dutch East Indies (Indonesia)
                                18th century

                                height: 9cm, length: 19.5cm, depth: 13.5cm

                                Provenance

                                private collection, UK.

                                226

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                                  Four Jamnagar ‘Gulab’ Betel Cutters Made in India for the Indonesian Market

                                  Jamnagar, India, but collected in Java, Indonesia.
                                  19th-20th century

                                  length: each is approximately 15 cm

                                  Provenance

                                  private collection, London; acquired in the 1980s in Indonesia.

                                  3229

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                                    Colonial Batavian Silver & Gilt Betel Box Set

                                    Batavia, Dutch East Indies
                                    early 19th century

                                    length of box: 21.3cm, depth: 13.6cm, height: 7cm, combined weight: 1,159g

                                    Provenance

                                    UK art market

                                    641

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                                      Engraved Silver Betel & Lime Boxes

                                      Sumatra, Indonesia
                                      19th century

                                      length: 6.7cm, chain length: 21.5cm, total weight: 128g

                                      640

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                                        Engraved Silver Betel & Lime Boxes

                                        Sumatra, Indonesia
                                        19th century

                                        length: 6.5cm, total weight: 117g

                                        Provenance

                                        private collection, London.

                                        639

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                                          Engraved Silver Betel Box

                                          Sumatra, Indonesia
                                          19th century

                                          length: 8cm, combined weight: 148g

                                          Provenance

                                          private collection, London

                                          1010

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                                            Sri Lankan Tortoiseshell Betel Box with Engraved, Parcel-gilt Silver Mounts

                                            Sri Lanka
                                            late 18th century

                                            length: 16cm, width: 12cm, height: 5.2cm, weight: 305g

                                            Provenance

                                            UK art market

                                            1715

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                                              Exceptionally Fine Indian Deccan Parcel-Gilt Silver Filigree Pandan

                                              Deccan, India
                                              18th century

                                              height: 5cm, length: 9.6cm, weight: 77g

                                              Provenance

                                              UK art market

                                              1716

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                                                Dutch Colonial Amboyna Wood & Red Lacquer Betel Box with Silver Mounts

                                                Batavia, Dutch East Indies
                                                late 17th-early 18th century

                                                height: 8.8cm, length: 20cm, depth: 14.5cm, weight: 794g

                                                Provenance

                                                collection of Paul Walter; Spink, London

                                                2182

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                                                  Sepik Lime Container in the form of a Rooster on a Crocodile

                                                  Iatmul People, Middle Sepik River Region, Papua New Guinea
                                                  first half of the 20th century

                                                  length: 68cm

                                                  Provenance

                                                  Francis de Sales McHugh Collection, and thence by descent, collected by de Sales McHugh in the first half of the 20th century .

                                                  3535

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                                                    Mindanao Philippines Silver-Inlaid Brass Betel Box

                                                    Mindanao, Philippines
                                                    19th-20th century

                                                    length: 25cm, height: 13.3cm, depth: 12.6cm

                                                    Provenance

                                                    UK art market

                                                    2998

                                                    Enquiry about object: 2998

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                                                      Mindanao Silver-Inlaid Brass Betel Box (Lutuan)

                                                      Islamic Mindanao, Philippines
                                                      early 20th century

                                                      length: 20.7cm, height: 10.8cm, depth: 9.6cm, weight: 2,873g

                                                      Provenance

                                                      UK art market