Not currently on display at the V&A

Box

ca. 1879 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Madras (made)

In India areca nut is used principally as an ingredient for paan, a form of digestive. Its use as a veneer on this box reflects the 19th-century conviction that unlikely natural substances could be put to practical and decorative use.


Object details

Categories
SCRAN
India Museum
Object type
Box
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Box
  • Lid
Materials and techniques
Wood, the exterior overlaid with transversely cut pieces of areca nut, and the interior lined with sandalwood
Sandalwood
Areca Nut
Wood
Dimensions
  • Height: 13cm
  • Width: 22.5cm
  • Depth: 16.5cm
Re-measured 16/12/2009 for Furniture Gallery survey: closed 13.5 x 22.5 x 16 cm
Subject depicted
Flowers
Summary
In India areca nut is used principally as an ingredient for paan, a form of digestive. Its use as a veneer on this box reflects the 19th-century conviction that unlikely natural substances could be put to practical and decorative use.
Bibliographic reference
Jaffer, Amin Furniture from British India and Ceylon: A Catalogue of the Collections in the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum. London : V&A Publications, 2001. 416 p., ill. ISBN 1851773185. p.148, fig 11
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
06180&A/(IS)

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdDecember 3, 2002
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O71344/box-unknown/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest