Pandan box for betel nut and spices

Historical period(s)
18th century
Medium
Silver gilt
Dimensions
H x W x D: 15.2 x 20.3 x 15.3 cm (6 x 8 x 6 in)
Geography
India, Deccan plateau
Credit Line
Purchase β€” funds provided by Rajinder K. Keith and Narinder K. Keith in honor of their father, Sardar Gurdit Singh Keith
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Accession Number
S1987.969
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Container, Metalwork
Type

Box

Keywords
bird, flower, India, makara
Provenance

?-1962
Taj Enterprises, Bombay (modern-day Mumbai), India, method of acquisition unknown [1]

1962-?
Alain Duchauffour (1933-2014), purchased from Taj Enterprises [2]

?-1987
Peter Marks Works of Art, New York, NY probably purchased from Alain Duchauffour [3]

From 1987
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, purchased from Peter Marks Works of Art [4]

Notes:
[1] See Taj Enterprises, invoice addressed to Alain Duchauffour, 36 rue de Fontaines, Sevres, France, and dated October 3, 1962, copy in object file. The letterhead on the Taj Enterprises invoice reads β€œTAJ ENTERPRISES / EXPORTERS / All kinds of / Handicrafts, Readymade Garments, Imitation Jewellery [sic] / Rehmani Building, 4th Floor, / 67, Mutton Street.”

[2] See note 1. Alain Duchauffour of Sevres, France was a collector of South and Southeast Asian art. He appears to have worked in the banking industry and was active in Asia. He also sold a Thai sculpture to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

[3] See Peter Marks Works of Art invoice, dated June 17, 1987 (signed July 6, 1987), copy in object file.

[4] See note 3.

Research Completed October 21, 2022

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Taj Enterprises
Alain Duchauffour 1933-2014
Peter Marks Works of Art, Inc. active 1960-2002

Label

The offering of pan, a digestive of crushed betel nut, spices, and lime paste rolled into the leaf of a betel plant, is an Indian social ritual that conveys hospitality and refinement. Scrolled foliate designs interspersed with birds adorn this gilt silver pan box. The gilding suggests it was made for an aristocratic family. Its pierced openwork and floral motifs relate the box to metalwork produced in the Deccani plateau, a region in central India.

Published References
  • America's Smithsonian: Celebrating 150 Years. Washington, 1996. p. 81.
Collection Area(s)
South Asian and Himalayan Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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