Indian betelnut box, taken from Maharajah of Bithur who was responsible for the massacre at Cawnpore, Indian Mutiny (1857-1859), 1857 (c).
Brass, of Indian manufacture, nd, 1857 (c).

Nana Sahib was one of the leading Indian rebels and became a British hate-figure after ordering the massacre of European civilians at Cawnpore. Lieutenant John Claude Auchinleck, Royal Artillery, took this box from the Nana's treasury at Bithur on 7 December. It had been hidden in a well along with two million rupees and countless precious objects. The Lieutenant was father of Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander-in-Chief India 1943-47. Betel nut is a stimulant that has been chewed in India for thousands of years. Regular use stains the gums and teeth a deep red.