A traditional Burmese kun-it, or betel box, dating from the late 19th or early 20th century. Built from lightweight bamboo and finished with successive layers of lacquer, the cylindrical box contains two removable trays originally used to hold the different ingredients required for preparing betel.

The exterior is finely decorated using the traditional yun technique, in which intricate designs are incised into the lacquer and filled with contrasting pigment. Figures appear amongst an exceptionally dense pattern of scrolling foliage, while the interiors are finished in characteristic deep red lacquer.

An object originally made for everyday ritual and hospitality, today it makes a particularly beautiful decorative box.