This artifact is a traditional daily life tool of Indonesian culture; a container that holds betel nuts, betel leaves, limestone powder, and other spices that are used for “betel nut chewing.” It is called pekinangan in Bahasa Indonesia.
Pekinangan comprises ceneng, a container for betel nuts, cepuk, a container for spices and tobacco, sembelung, a container for Betel leaves, papon, a container for limestone powder, and a storage box that contains these containers. Generally, these are made of various materials, such as copper, brass, wood, etc.
Betel nuts are fruits of betel palms that grow in the tropical region of India, South China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, etc. They are also referred as paan in India and pinang in Indonesia. To chew, betel nuts are mixed with limestone powder, spices, and tobacco in Betel pipers and consumed like chewing gums. When this mixture is chewed, its red pigment stains inside of the mouth and saliva.
This cultural practice is widespread in Indonesia and the Southeast Asian region, and is often called "betel nut chewing" or "areca nut chewing." Betel nut chewing is a culture practiced by people of ages and gender.
In particular, in Indonesia, it is customary to provide betel nuts in pekinangan to guests visiting one’s house as a sign of respect. This culture of betel nut chewing has been diminishing in the recent years and the consumption decreased. However, it still remains as an essential part of Indonesian culture and tradition.