Long before the coming of canisters...we in India had the spice box...every region having its own version.They still hold that charm and air of mystery around them.I remember my mother using her spices out of a 'masala-dani'...I cherish my own spice box.Gifted to me by my co-sister...when she moved out of Cochin.They are usually crafted out of a single piece of wood...with a wooden pin holding the lid shut.The craftsmanship does not involve any metal hardware.The lid opens around a pivot ... similar as the holding pin.You can see the artistic expression not just on the carved outside body but inside as well.Each slot having been cut out of the single wooden piece.
I love to store my aromatic spices in thebox ... cardamom ... cinnamon ... cinnamon sticks ... cloves and nutmeg.If your spices are fresh the spice box will definitely tell ...I can distinctly make out when the box is opened in the kitchen ... the aroma travels.The wood also absorbs the fragrance of the spices,making it easy to tell if it is a geniunly old used spice box or just made to look like one.
No matter what style of kitchen ...if you are to store your Indian spices, a spice box looks beautiful .