Betel consumption was widely practiced across Southeast Asia, where users would chew on betel quid made from areca nut, powdered lime and pepper plant leaves. The ingredients were to be folded into a betel quid and chewed, turning the inside of the consumer’s mouth red. Betel quid chewing was practised across all walks of life, enjoyed in various casual and social settings to funerals and other formal ceremonies. Betel boxes and chewing featured prominently in royal regalia and marriage ceremonies in Dayak culture.This nineteenth-century Dayak betel box is in the shape of a hornbill, the state bird of modern-day Sarawak. Its head, frontal wings and tail feathers open to reveal separate components to store ingredients for betel quid. This box also sports three ‘legs’ made of one-cent Rajah Brooke coins dating from 1863 and 1870. The ornate quality of this box and the rareness of this hornbill design may indicate that in this context, betel consumption was widely practiced across social classes and fine objects housing the condiments were produced for the wealthy. In Dayak culture, betel consumption was most associated with marriage, evident from how the areca nut featured as a traditional wedding gift in the ceremony 'bla pinang' (belah pinang in Malay). Dayak chants show that betel consumption was highly associated with love - the betel leaf was said to help couples ‘tangle and mingle together like coursing water’. While yellow brass was a common material, the rarity of the proposed acquisition and the high level of detail may indicate that it could have been used in similar ceremonies such as wedding rites. The hornbill design of this box could allude to cross-cultural exchange, giving a glimpse into the social and political sphere at the time. In Dayak culture, they were also believed to be natural spirits protecting the island of Borneo.
