Set of 3 very old LOTA: hard‑wood food boxes

Set of 3 superb, heavy and very old LOTA: Food boxes, tea boxes, spice boxes and other everyday items, Sculpted from a single piece in a block of hard wood. INDIA / RAJASTHAN - Late 19th century - Early 20th century Beautiful old patina Original used material, sold as-is with no restoration performed. Total weight 2.040 kg 1 - Lota H 8 cm diameter 12 cm 2 - Lota H 17 cm diameter 14 cm 3 - Lota H 18 cm diameter 14 cm Spread of the private collection of Mr. Germain BERTHEL (1920 - 1998) dating from the 1950s. Fast and careful shipping in Colissimo La Poste, registered with signature and insurance. The items are pre-packaged as soon as they are online on CATAWIKI Combo orders are therefore not possible IMPORTANT NOTE: Please be present or make arrangements for the delivery of your order. For obvious safety reasons, this delivery takes place by registered mail with insurance and requires a signature. If you are not present and have not signed for it, the order will be returned to me. If you are not present, your postman will not leave a notice, and will mark your address as incomplete to save time. THE FOOD BOXES OF RAJASTHAN In Rajasthan and in India, at the beginning of the 20th century, these traditional containers carved from a single block of hard wood are generically called pots or village vessels, but depending on regions and dialects they have specific names such as Lota (when they imitate the shape of brass water vessels) or are part of rural tableware Made mainly from very dense woods resistant to insects (such as teak wood or sesham, also called Indian rosewood), these utilitarian objects were used for the storage and transport of basic foodstuffs Their main everyday functions: Storing precious liquids: they were widely used to preserve and transport cooking oil, milk, ghee (traditional clarified butter) or water. The hardness and thickness of the wood allowed liquids to stay at a relatively stable temperature. Preservation away from pests: Models with a lid or narrow neck served as pots for grains, spices or flour. The fact that they are carved from a single trunk (monoxyl) avoided cracks or fragile joints through which insects could infiltrate. A robustness suited to rural life: Unlike earthenware pots that easily broke during movement or farming, these hard wood vessels were practically unbreakable. They were often passed down from generation to generation, acquiring over time a deep, dark patina from the oils they contained.

Estimate:$1.12

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