A set of betel and cosmetic boxes

This set of four mangosteen-shaped cepuk or containers, would have originally been part of a tepak sireh set. Such containers were used to store individual components of the tepak sireh or betel-chewing set such as gambir and kapur (lime), which would normally be completed with a tray and a kacip (betel leaf cutter). While betel-chewing sets are common across Southeast Asia, they carry local variation in shapes and designs. For Malay states on the peninsula and archipelago, one of the common designs is that of the mangosteen, a fruit native to the Malay peninsula which is considered a symbol of equality, and often recurs as motif through much of Malay material art including metalwork, textiles and woodcarving.