INDONESIA, JAVA, DATED 1875

Our box is decorated with profuse foliage characteristic of the Southeast Asian Straits’ gold and silverware, particularly pieces produced in the Islands. The swaying tendrils with serrated leaves with hooked tip and the simple recurring quatrefoils are commonly found on betel boxes and other containers from either Aceh or the Riau islands. A register of similar quatrefoils also flanked by such leaves can be clearly seen on the narrow shoulder of a Riau Islands betel bowl with dish attributed to the 19th century and kept at the Victoria and Albert Museum (IS.268&A-1950). The application of such pattern is apparent on a silver, gold and copper alloy tobacco box from Aceh, also dated to the 19th century (IS.300-1950). The profuse occurrence of the serrated leaves with hooked tip is seen on many works form the Indonesian archipelago, such as a lacquered wood example from Pelambang (06175:1 to 3/(IS)) or a trapezoidal silver work (IS.251 to B-1950) both attributed to the 19th century.