A BRONZE HORSESHOE-SHAPED BETEL NUT CUTTER, 18th - 19th CENTURY

拍品描述

A BRONZE HORSESHOE-SHAPED BETEL NUT CUTTER, 18th - 19th CENTURY India. Cast in the form of a horseshoe and incised with ornamental decoration, the edges pierced and fitted with movable loops suspending small bells of a later date. The handles terminate in stacked, compressed knops. Dimensions: Length 16.5 cm The betel nut is actually a berry (the fruit of the areca palm) that, especially in its dried form, was and is today widely chewed throughout Asia for its narcotic effect. A special type of scissors was developed to cut the dried berry. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related betel nut cutter in The Walters Art Museum, accession number 54.570.

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