Interesting enameled silver item.

[tamrock]

This is a find from yesterday. I guess its a small vase and it appears to be unmarked pure silver of some grade with a repousse floral pattern and crude blue enameling. I'm thinking it's maybe from India or maybe Indonesia?. When I first saw it, I thought this would sure clean up beautifully.

 

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[Blackfoot58]

It’s definitely an attractive piece.👍🏼

 

[Red-Coat]

Nice. It’s a container for holding leaves from the areca palm, for which both the leaves and nuts (known as betel nuts) are chewed for their stimulant and narcotic effects, despite their association with oral and esophageal cancers.

The nuts and leaves are chewed together with slaked lime (calcium hydroxide), to help release the primary psychoactive compound ‘arecoline’; sometimes with the addition of flavourings or breath-fresheners such as coconut, dates, sugar, menthol, saffron, cloves, aniseed, cardamom, and many others. Sometimes tobacco is an additional component.

Often the leaf container is part of a set that includes the containers and accoutrements for preparing and storing the other components. Like this set from Thailand:

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-...ello-betel-nut-set-in-the-sha-81-c-db846fdabd

Here’s one of the leaf containers, also from Thailand:

https://www.rcbauctions.com/auction-lot/a-rare-and-exquisitely-gilded-silver-niello-betel_74D4600838

This site shows a more ornate one incorrectly assigned as a ‘flower holder’ but it would be way too unstable for that.

https://www.proantic.com/en/1187403-gilt-flower-holder.html

The practice of chewing this stuff is widespread in most countries of Southern Asia, among Chinese immigrants, and was introduced to the Caribbean in colonial times. The containers can be found in brass, silver and silver gilt, often with enamel or niello decoration. I would think yours is late 19th or early 20th Century and could be from any one of a number of Asian countries.

 

[tamrock]

I'll be darn RC. How you know what you know is impressive. As for me I've learned something new this day. Thanks again.

 

[HistoryTeacher]

Wow! What a great eye, Tamrock. Nice pickup. And again, amazing information from Red-Coat.

 

[TreaShore]

Good eye on grabbing it.