Nepali Tika Puja / Pooja Powder Box with Inlaid Turquoise Chip

This is a little palm-sized wood powder box used to hold the powder which Nepalese men and women may place on their forehead when visiting temples, sometimes also worn higher on the head by married women. 
 
The turquoise chip is embedded in a button that comes out to allow the holder to fill the top portion, presumably with moisture absorbent seeds or perhaps aromatic herbs (several small seeds fell out when we were trying to see if the button would stay in place in a different position). The top portion is lined with a cotton sheath as shown in photos.
 
This one has obviously been used, the red or maroon powder remnants evidence of it once holding Kumkum, or vermilion powders. Kumkum is applied as a tilak on the forehead and used to decorate idols and other sacred objects during worship.
 
Our mother Nancy Chandler most likely picked this up while living in Nepal in 1966-1967. She lost her art supplies enroute to Nepal and became enthralled with the colors of the puja powders, their brightness coloring her career for the rest of her life.
 
It does have some superficial cracks in the lid as shown in photos and the top is a natural uneven fit. 
 
H 1 3/4" x L 2 3/4" x D 2 3/4"
Weight: 1.69 oz (48g)
 
Disclaimer: We have tried to make sure colors shown in photos are representative of the real colors of each item. We have tried to identify all imperfections in descriptions, but we may have missed some. If you are unhappy with your purchase, let us know.