Areca Nutcracker

This hinged nutcracker of brass is adorned with punched decorations on the surface of the metal while the handles are covered with strips of ivory for smoother grip. Cast bronze figures of birds are additionally attached at the end of the handles as well as on top of the upper lever. A sharp iron blade is affixed to the upper lever while the lower one has a flat surface to hold the nut in place.
The areca nut, slightly narcotic in character, is the fruit of the areca palm which grows in the vast coastal regions of India. It is consumed either with betel leaf or chewed independently.