Not currently on display at the V&A

Kun-It (Betel) or Be-It (Cosmetic) Box

ca. late 19th century (made)
Place of origin

The red and gold box is round and cylindrical, the slip-over cover and the plain box being about the same height. The inner tray is flat-bottomed and plain.
The cover has on the top a chu-pan design - a highly conventionalised pattern of leaf-diaper, and on the sides boldly waving bands with rosettes and the same leaf-diaper.


Object details

Object type
Materials and techniques
Of finely plaited bamboo wickerwork, covered with black thitsi gum with a surface coating of scarlet thitsi lacquer which is partly overlaid with tinfoil, the whole being then covered with a transparent gold varnish.
Brief description
Burmese Shan States bamboo and lacquer cylindrical kun-it (betel) or be-it (cosmetic) box with an inner tray in black coated in scarlet, silver and gilt decorated with floral and foliate patterns. ca. late 19th century.
Physical description
The red and gold box is round and cylindrical, the slip-over cover and the plain box being about the same height. The inner tray is flat-bottomed and plain.
The cover has on the top a chu-pan design - a highly conventionalised pattern of leaf-diaper, and on the sides boldly waving bands with rosettes and the same leaf-diaper.
Dimensions
  • Height: 8.5cm
  • Diameter: 23cm
Credit line
Curzon Bequest
Production
Attribution note: Conflict of opinion as to what kind of box this was meant to be. There is a paper label stuck to the lid describing in Burmese script this to be a betel box but in 1992 Ralph Isaacs discovered a pencilled label also in Burmese script stating this to be "old style comb box"; ie for cosmetics and toiletries.
Bibliographic reference
Sylvia Fraser Lu "Burmese Lacquerware"; Bangkok 1985
Collection
Accession number
IM.200-1927

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Record createdNovember 29, 2000
Record URL
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