1800’s Very Rare Old Traditional Ethnic Iron Betel Areca Nut Cutter, Cracker, called Kacip (Kecil) Iron Tool, Collected in Sumatra in the 1970's, Horse Motif. 19th century, Indonesia

This is for the iron cutter seen on the first photo, by itself, and on all the additional photos with another, also listed in our sales. This is a lovely Antique Iron Betel Nut Cutter (Kacip Kecil) from Indonesia, dating from the19th Century: a very old traditional nut cracker or kacip from the early 1800’s, essential to open the Betel nut seed. The chopper is a tool used by older people when they lose their teeth and can no longer chew betel nut whole, the hard fruit of the Areca palm. It is made by attaching a beautifully carved handle to a steel chisel blade which fits inside a deep mortar. The betel chewer inserts the betel nut and chops and crushes it before wrapping it with the pepper leaf and some white lime powder, together creating a mildly narcotic called betel nut chew. Here, the detailing of the horse’s head with a gentle and delicate swoop expresses the artistic vitality and detailed elegance typical of these types of important traditional instruments from the past.   Thi