Vintage 1970s Tribal Timor Island Trinket Box for Bohemian Home Decoration, Crocodile Bessi Totemic Islander Art, Large Wooden Bamboo Lime Container Box
 
The present item is a finely carved bamboo lime container with a hand carved decorative motif "bessi" crocodile symbol of ancestors kinship etched into the surface. The patina is deep and the ends have been sealed with wood stoppers. The Highland Atoni People have always been enthusiastic practitioners of the betel nut ceremony which has both formal and informal formats. The artifact is in excellent vintage condition and there is residual lime powder in the container. I also noticed a surface scratch, see pics.
 
Chewing the mixture of areca nut and betel leaf is a tradition, custom or ritual which dates back thousands of years in much of the geographical areas from South Asia eastward to the Pacific. It constitutes an important and popular cultural activity in many Asian and Oceanic countries, It is not known how or when the areca nut and the betel leaf were first combined into one psychoactive drug. Archaeological evidence from Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines suggests they have been used in tandem for at least 4000 years.
 
Dimensions: 9.35" x 1.8" x 1.8" inches / Weight 130 grams / All measurements are approximated