Betazoid gift box

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.

The Betazoid Gift Box was an artifact originating from the planet Betazed that was designed to be given as "bonding gifts" to those who were to be married. The Gift Box resembled a silver chest, except that it had a seemingly live, Human-like face imprinted on its side. This face was capable of speech and movement and could thus be used to convey messages to their recipients.

In 2364, Counselor Deanna Troi received a Betazoid Gift Box from Steven and Victoria Miller as a wedding gift, as she had been bonded to their son, Wyatt. When the Box was first transported aboard the Enterprise-D, it appeared to be in a sleeping state. But when Troi entered the transporter room and spoke, the Box "awakened" and informed Troi that her mother, Lwaxana Troi, and the Millers would soon arrive and that her wedding day was near. With its message delivered, the Gift Box went back to "sleep". (TNG: "Haven")

[edit] Background

The face of the Betazoid Gift Box was actually Armin Shimerman, who would go on to appear as two different Ferengi characters on TNG before playing Quark on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Shimerman would later write a scene with Quark selling a gift box to a Bolian in his novel The 34th Rule.

In a cut scene, it was revealed that Betazoid Gift Boxes evidently had a variety of "faces" to choose from as Victoria Miller would have noted that her husband had chosen the "ugliest face imaginable", but Steven would defend his decision, believing it to be a face that was "full of character."