This decorative silver box would have been made to hold the ingredients for paan (betel nut quids). The maker, Oomersi Mawji, was the royal silversmith to the Maharaos of Kutch, and one of the best known silversmiths of his time. Oomersi Mawji was a particularly skilled craftsman known for his fine work in this regard, often incorporating dense foliage patterns, hiding birds and animals on the surfaces of utilitarian objects such as jugs, goblets and boxes. Animal imagery abounds on OM Bhuj work. This object is covered with a repousséd ‘coriander leaf’ design, with an eagle straddling the lid and actingas the handle. The base bears the hallmark “OM Bhuj”. It also bears initials in Gujarati that is suggestive of the name of the owner.
