Brass Dhokra Work Money Box From Orissa - 19thC Small Mirrors viewed from the front through

viewed from the front through the glass surface

the muted tones of its faded paint show signs of an interesting life

while the interior bears deep staining from its original contents — bindi powder once used by Indian women for adornment

and Gujarat for storing jewellery

original lid

Brass Dhokra Work Money Box From Orissa - 19thC Small Mirrors viewed from the front throughThis old brass money box is from the Dhokra Damar tribes of Orissa in North East India. This style of Dhokra work dates to the late 19th & early 20th centuries. These caskets would have been used daily by families for keeping cash and valuables. The Dhokra tribe extends from Bihar to West Bengal and Orissa; members are distant cousins of the Madhya Pradesh Dhokras. A few hundred years ago the Dhokras of Central and Eastern India traveled south as far