Mounted Filipino Betel Box

In many Southeast Asian cultures, offering guests a betel quid to chew was the fundamental symbol of hospitality. A blend of leaves, nuts, seasonings, and sometimes tobacco, betel was kept in finely worked and highly decorated boxes. The surface of this cast brass box is covered in swirling abstract patterns, and ornate bells and bead work along the banana fiber cloth strap add sound and color to the mixture of decorative elements. Lovingly collected by a restoration expert of Chicago's Field Museum, this box has journeyed far, from the intimate circles of Filipino society to being mounted on this custom steel stand for display.