VHM_0082

This betel nut container (cơi trầu cau) is an heirloom of Huỳnh Đức Diêu's family and had been used in his family's Vietnamese marriage ceremonies over the years. Part of the ceremony involved the groom’s family presenting gifts such as betel leaf and areca nut (trầu cau) to the bride’s family as a symbol of love, respect and union. After resettling in the U.S. as a refugee, Huỳnh Đức Diêu, who now resides in Louisiana, later returned to Vietnam and acquired this container as part of his effort to collect his family heirlooms.