Sarota - Betel nut Cutter from Rajasthan - 19th Century Material - Jichimu This large lacquered Chinese chest

This large lacquered Chinese chest would have been used for storing clothing and bedding

15 x 2 x 19

Rare to find original Prayer Wheels these days

Examples of similar works were featured at a special exhibition entitled

Sarota - Betel nut Cutter from Rajasthan - 19th Century Material - Jichimu This large lacquered Chinese chestThis antique Indian sarota, or betelnut cutter is a cross between scissors and nutcrackers. They're used to shave slivers from the areca (betel) nut which was then mixed with spices and wrapped in betel leaves to make paan. Paan was a stimulant chewed for its psychoactive effects. This simple iron sarota dates to the 19th century. Many sarota were produced in Kutch, Gujarat which was a hub for production. They are fun to collect as they are so diverse