CHINESE STRAITS, MALAYSIA, 19TH C. Straits tobacco box, or. Would have been used to store betel nut. And feels good in the. Palm of the hand. The box is gilded and r. Been used in the production process. Originates from Lower Perak in Malaysia, and dates to late 19. The silversmith has clearly taken time on this piece. They used repousse methods to emphasise the floral motif running along the body and lid of the. Used to cover the silver decorations in a thin layer of gold leaf. In addition to this, the background. Upon which the floral motif sits. Has been oxidised in order to make the design really pop-out. The contrast between the gold, silver, and black colours. The underside of the box has been finely chased. It features swirling and winding flowers surrounded by a tasteful border in the. On the back of the. There is a small loop. Affixed to the body. And through the small loop, there is a large ring. This would have been used to thread a chain through which would have been attached to clothing. This way, one could easily travel with. Their betel nuts without having to carry them around in their hands or pockets. Betel chewing became widespread across South East Asia and there was a great deal of paraphernalia attached to the habit with containers of various, sizes and shapes and special tools to. Cut the betel nuts. The containers were made of different materials, wood, lacquer and various metals, according to income and social standing. An extremely beautiful and expensive. A number of different. Containers to hold the various ingredients. Uld have been used to hold the. Set could only have belonged to a rich individual of high social standing. A brilliant tobacco box. With a great array of colours! This is very good and. E with age and careful usage. Ome slight signs of wear and use, which do not detract. Please message me with any queries. Thank you for looking and dont forget to check my other listings for antique European, Indian, Middle Eastern. Quality silver, particularly antique items from Asia, India and the Middle East. If you are looking to sell, please contact me with details. The item “ANTIQUE SILVER TOBACCO BOX (CHELPA), GILDED, CHINESE STRAITS, MALAYSIA, 19TH C” is in sale since Monday, May 14, 2018. This item is in the category “Antiques\Silver\Solid Silver\Boxes”. The seller is “argento-silver” and is located in London. This item can be shipped worldwide.

• Product: Boxes
• Age: 1850-1899
• Style: Chinese Straits
• Composition: Silver-Gilt
• Pattern: Flora