LAOTIAN SILVER BETEL NUT LEAF CONTAINERS,LAOS,REPOUSSE

ANTIQUE LAOTIAN SILVER REPOUSSE BETEL LEAF CONTAINERS

RARE - AND IN EXCELLENT CONDITION CONSIDERING

USE AND AGE

Material:  Silver

Laos, 19th - Early 20th Century

Betel Leaf Horn:    Length 9cm, Width 5.5cm- approx 50 grams

Betel Leaf Container:     Height 11cm, Width 7.5cm - approx 60 grams

The silver betel leaf holder is in the form of a horn and is only found in Laos.   On all four surfaces are intricately decorated in repousse and chisel technique with geometric and floral folage forms and on the back a mythical lion.

The second betel leaf holder is  in the form of a flattened cylinder.  It is also intricately decorated in repousse and chisel technique geometric and interlocking floral scrolls.

The utensils used in betel chewing are among the finest works of art from the southeast Asian countries where betel nut was an important part of the culture.  Betel leaf holders from Laos generally had a higher silver content as is evident with these two holders.

A similar silver betel leaf horn is illustrated (page 112) in Arts of Asia - January - February 1983 in an extensive article "The Lerche Collection - Chewing Betel Through the Ages" by Beowulf K. Klebert

Also illustrated a similar horn  (page 61)  Betel Chewing Traditions in South-East Asia, Dawn Rooney, Oxford University Press, 1993

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