Indian Tinned Copper Repoussé Pandan Box

A round copper box with a domed lid, every surface engraved in bands of triangles and chevrons running from base to lid. A twisted bail handle sits at the top, a hinged hasp at the front. Open it and the interior shifts tone entirely with bright tin against all that dark verdigris-bronze, the underside of the lid worked in concentric rings.

Boxes of this form are known as pandan, traditionally used across South Asia to hold the ingredients for paan: betel leaf, areca nut, and lime paste. They were often kept as a household or ceremonial object rather than strictly utilitarian ware. The tinned interior reflects a common finishing method for copper vessels intended to hold food-related materials, applied over the hammered copper body once the repoussé work was complete.

Style: Indian
Materials & Techniques: Hammered and engraved copper, tinned interior, iron hardware
Place of Origin: likely India
Period: likely 19th C.