Betel box

The Maranao people of the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines are particularly renowned for their inlaid brass betel boxes. These boxes, sometimes decorated with intricate scrolls of inlaid silver, often contain four compartments for the ingredients involved in rolling a betel quid: the sliced areca nut (a mild stimulant), betel leaves, lime powder, and tobacco. Octagonal brass boxes were also produced to hold these substances.

It was considered polite to offer every visitor a betel quid. Historical reports from the early twentieth century emphasize the importance of these boxes as status symbols; some wealthy homes contained hundreds of such containers.