Brass Betel nut box said to have belonged to Nana Sahib, Maharajah of Bithur, 1857 (c)

Nana Sahib was one of the leading Indian rebels during the Indian Mutiny (1857-1859) 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 1857. 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 1943-1947. 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.