The bidri betel box is circular with concave sides and a pointed convex dome. There are no interior compartments. The ornamentation of the box consists solely of silver wire inlay (tarkashi technique), out of which are represented Mughal-descended floral sprays, scrolling tendrils and blossoms, small amoeba-like cloud swirls inherited from Chinese pictorial conventions through Iranian painting, and an overlapping leaf design on the peak of the dome.
From the 16th century onward, myriad diverse accoutrements made of bidri ware and other precious materials have been fashioned for use in the popular social custom and ritual of sharing pan, a ceremonial amenity and digestif made of cut betel nut, mineral lime powder or paste, sundry spices, and sometimes tobacco and even gold or silver foil all wrapped in a betel leaf (Piper betle). Ornate round, polygonal, lobed, or foliate containers (pandan) were used to offer guests the prepared pan quids. By the late 19th century, elaborate betel sets had evolved with interior compartments for storing the betel leaves and spices of the delicacy, the implements used to prepare it, and serving trays. These accessories were often made in sets with matching decoration.
