mid-19th century box, likely used in bengal (modern-day bangladesh) in the waning days of the mughal empire as a paan box. hand-cast from bell bronze — a prized (and uniquely delicate) metal reserved for ritual objects of importance — this precious piece would have stood proudly at the centre of domestic rituals of betel nut consumption.
its domed cover and fluted sides coalesce in elegant floral form, a reminder that the natural world was fundamental to the mughal worldview. more than a century of use later, it bears a burnished patina, a surface etched by wear, and a delicate verdigris that reveals itself only upon opening the box.
if a relic of the box’s hand-casting is its irregularity, then a particularly charming artefact of its artisan’s genius lies in tiny notches in the lid and base that, when lined up, allow the two to fit together tightly, for secure closure. it truly is the tiny details.