Bidri Betel Nut Cutter

Medium: Silver inlay in iron

Geograhical Locations:

Dates:18th century?

Dimensions: length: 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm)

Accession Number: 2021.1.54

Catalogue Description:
Hinged two-part cutter used for preparation of betel nut. The handles are narrow and tapered while the cutting section is broader and flat with stylized profiles of two birds facing inward. The entire outer surface of the cutter is inlaid in silver in geometrical and floral patterns. This style of inlaying silver into other, darker metals, known as Bidri ware, was the speciality of the state of Bidar on the Deccan plateau.

Brooklyn Museum