Deccan Pandan Box with Duck

Betel leaf shaped pandan box from the Deccan region in brass. The box is decorated by geometric open fretwork designs on the lid and sides, with engraved floral designs between them. The betel leaf shape has also been used creatively as the wings of a duck, with its head emerging nestling between the feathers. Such early pandans had no compartments inside, and so, were probably used for serving ready rolled paan.
The history of chewing paan dates back about 2500 years and its beautifully crafted accessories elevated it to a level of ceremony, much like the Japanese and tea. The word pandan was coined during the Sultanate and Mughal period joining the Hindi word paan to the Persian suffix dan. “The offering of the royal paan to a courtier was a sign of extraordinary favour, and an even greater honour would be the offering of the betel container (pandan)” - Mark Zebrowski.