This box with engraved floral motifs was used to keep lime which is an ingredient in the betel-chewing tradition. It is an example of the wide range of receptacles made to hold the different ingredients for betel chewing.Minangkabau metal work is noted for its elaborate detailing and draws inspiration from Malay, Bugis, Chinese and Acehnese styles and techniques.The Minangkabau were mostly a trading community. Their ancestry is traced back to the legend of the victorious baby buffalo that fought a large bull from Java. They live in and around Padang, the capital and largest city of West Sumatra.
