Vintage Antique Hand Carved Bamboo Lime Container Indonesia Anthropomorphic

Description

What an amazing piece of a long standing tradition of betel nut chewing going back thousands of years! Read below for all the details about these elaborately carved artifacts.
This is an Old carved Bamboo Lime Container from Indonesia. Betel is a mild stimulant chewed by about ten per cent of the world's population in an area stretching from East Africa across India, south-east Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines to New Guinea. The betel chew consists of the seed of the areca palm (the 'betel nut'), the fruit or leaf of the betel pepper vine, and mineral lime. The lime is kept in a container and taken to the mouth with an implement. Depending on the region, the lime containers are made from gourds, bamboo, bone, carved wood and often have finely detailed stoppers. In Indonesia and Asia in general, shapes and materials used for the receptacles that will contain lime powder or betel differ from country to country. The receptacles, boxes and carry-cases for the lime powder are generally superbly carved with a great variety of human figures, animals, plants portraying important aspects and sacred symbols of each culture and referring to the status of the owner. The container is cleverly constructed in two parts using the joints in the bamboo. Lime takes away the bitter taste of the Betel Nut and when chewed provides a mild intoxication. This is a wonderful decorative item to add to your collection. Still shows some residue.
This particular container is made of wood and not bone although I purchased it along with a bone one which is also listed. A wooden lid is glued in the lower opening, in the upper one sits a removable anthropomorphic wooden plug. The surface is decorated with a kind of scrimshaw technique. The lime is eaten together with areca (betel) nuts in order to enhance the effect of the alkaloid arecolin.
Measures almost 8" with lid