Buckle slide, light green nephrite jade, carved flower and foliage, India

A flat buckle slide fashioned in light green nephrite jade. The symmetric outline is basically quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides and with the other pair being slanted at equal but opposite angles. Just in from the longest edge and running for most of its length, there is a long pierced hole between the two faces. The back face is flat and polished and the front face has been carved in relief with a single flower in the middle and with foliage, possibly acanthus leaves, on either side that develop into scrolls that protrude from the slanted edges. There are two cracks to the thin section that forms the longest edge.

This object was acquired by William Tayler during his time in India (1829-1867). He subsequently sold it to the South Kensington Museum (later renamed the Victoria & Albert Museum) in 1874 for the sum of £1-10-0.

William Tayler was educated in England at Charterhouse and also spent a term at Christ Church, Oxford. He entered service with the East India Company on 30th April 1829, arriving in India in October of the same year. He held various posts in Bengal and was appointed Commissioner of Patna in 1855. During his service, he was able to acquire many objects, including hardstones, relating to the customs and religions of India as well as objects from other parts of South Asia.
He was criticised for his handling of the uprisings in Northern India and was moved to a lesser post before being suspended, ultimately resigning on 29th March 1859. He then practised as an advocate in the law courts of Bengal before returning to England in 1867.
He wrote a book about his experiences, entitled Thirty-eight Years in India, in which he states that "After my return to England, circumstances induced me, though with great reluctance, to part with the collection which is now in the South Kensington Museum".

This jade buckle was made within the Mughal empire, probably in the early 19th century.

651-1874