Scissors - Brass, Iron - Two areca nut scissors
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Pair of antique betel-nut scissors from Asia: one Indian-made heavy brass piece with an iron blade measuring 18.3 × 6.3 × 0.9 cm and weighing 275 g, and a slimmer Java/Madura kacip forged in iron measuring 16 × 4.5 × 1 cm and weighing 75 g, dating to the late 19th to early 20th century, both in good used condition.
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Description from the seller
Fascinating pair of antique betel nut scissors, also known as betel nut crackers, originating from diverse cultural regions in Asia. These tools were historically used to precisely cut the stone-hard areca nut for the traditional betel ritual. Together, these two objects present a beautiful and unique contrast in both material usage and regional craftsmanship, making them a splendid addition for collectors of ethnographica and Asian art.
The first and largest specimen is a classic Indian piece made of heavily cast brass with a blade forged from iron. This solid object weighs 275 grams and measures 18.3 by 6.3 by 0.9 centimeters. The scissor is richly decorated with hand-engraved herringbone and zigzag patterns and features a characteristic openwork edge with fine, hand-pierced holes. Although the mechanical symmetry and the legs with ball-shaped ends have remained beautifully preserved, there is a historic crack in the carrying semicircular arch, causing the arch to no longer form a single unit. Consequently, the object is structurally defective and should serve only as a decorative collectible piece. The brass, incidentally, retains a splendid, untreated antique patina.
The second specimen is a rarer, slender pinang scissor or kacip from Java or Madura, Indonesia, dating to the period around the turn of the nineteenth to the twentieth century. This refined instrument is entirely hand-forged from iron, which explains its very low weight of only 75 grams at a size of 16 by 4.5 by 1 centimeters. The tool is artfully shaped in the form of a stylized Javanese horse head with finely serrated mane and pointed ears, which in local culture symbolize nobility and strength. The long, slender legs show authentic hammer marks and run neatly straight. Mechanically, this scissor is fully functional. This lot is offered in the shown, honest antique condition.
Left
Dimensions: 18.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 cm
Weight: 275 g
Right
Dimensions: 16 x 4.5 x 1 cm
Weight: 75 g
Fascinating pair of antique betel nut scissors, also known as betel nut crackers, originating from diverse cultural regions in Asia. These tools were historically used to precisely cut the stone-hard areca nut for the traditional betel ritual. Together, these two objects present a beautiful and unique contrast in both material usage and regional craftsmanship, making them a splendid addition for collectors of ethnographica and Asian art.
The first and largest specimen is a classic Indian piece made of heavily cast brass with a blade forged from iron. This solid object weighs 275 grams and measures 18.3 by 6.3 by 0.9 centimeters. The scissor is richly decorated with hand-engraved herringbone and zigzag patterns and features a characteristic openwork edge with fine, hand-pierced holes. Although the mechanical symmetry and the legs with ball-shaped ends have remained beautifully preserved, there is a historic crack in the carrying semicircular arch, causing the arch to no longer form a single unit. Consequently, the object is structurally defective and should serve only as a decorative collectible piece. The brass, incidentally, retains a splendid, untreated antique patina.
The second specimen is a rarer, slender pinang scissor or kacip from Java or Madura, Indonesia, dating to the period around the turn of the nineteenth to the twentieth century. This refined instrument is entirely hand-forged from iron, which explains its very low weight of only 75 grams at a size of 16 by 4.5 by 1 centimeters. The tool is artfully shaped in the form of a stylized Javanese horse head with finely serrated mane and pointed ears, which in local culture symbolize nobility and strength. The long, slender legs show authentic hammer marks and run neatly straight. Mechanically, this scissor is fully functional. This lot is offered in the shown, honest antique condition.
Left
Dimensions: 18.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 cm
Weight: 275 g
Right
Dimensions: 16 x 4.5 x 1 cm
Weight: 75 g
Details
Era
1900-2000
Specific region of origin
Java
Title additional information
Two areca nut scissors
Country of origin
Indonesia
Indigenous object name
Kacip
Material
Brass, Iron
Condition
Good condition - used with small signs of ageing
Height
18.3 cm
Width
6.3 cm
Depth
0.9 cm
Estimated period
1850-1900
