A beautifully carved pure brass sindoor dani or kumkum holder - a rare design small box that can also be used to hold diya batti (oil lamp wicks.) This box is designed on Hindu mythology first man, Manu's story of saving the world. As per the legend, Matsya, one of the 10 avatars (incarnations) of the Hindu god Vishnu, saved the world from a great flood. Manu, the first man, caught a little fish that grew to giant size. When the flood approached, Manu saved himself and various species as well as a few sages by tying his boat to the horn on the fish s head. The myth is repeated with variations in other texts, including the Mahabharata and a few other Puranas. It is similar to flood myths from other texts such as that of Gilgamesh and Noah.