These Indian brass boxes were used for storage of paan leaves. Paan is a preparation, which combines a paste of spices in a betel leaf, which is chewed for its stimulant and psychoactive effects. After chewing it is either spat out or swallowed. Paan has many variations. Slaked lime (chunam) paste is commonly added to bind the leaves. The skilled paan maker is known as a paanwala in North India. 

This old jali work Paan box will make a perfect trinket box or desk tidy.

A similar example can be seen in "Folk Art & Culture of Gujarat: A Guide to the Collection of the Shreyas Folk Museum of Gujarat" by Jyotindra Jain - figure 245. 

Dimensions:

14.5 x 10 x 9 (wxdxh cms)

From India

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