Inkstand
c. 1860 (Made)
| Place of origin |
The porcupine quill decoration of this piece made in South India before 1872 meant that it entered the 'Animal Products' collection when it was given to the museum. The collection was begun in 1853 as a result of Prince Albert's suggestion that the new South Kensington Museum should acquire items made from natural raw materials, divided into animal, vegetable and mineral categories. Ultimately, only animal products were collected, and these were all displayed at the branch museum of Bethnal Green when it first opened in 1872.
The inkstand was made in the city of Vishakhapatnam on the Coromandel Coast whose woodworkers supplied ivory-inlaid or veneered wares to European residents in India from the late 17th century.
The inkstand was made in the city of Vishakhapatnam on the Coromandel Coast whose woodworkers supplied ivory-inlaid or veneered wares to European residents in India from the late 17th century.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | porcupine quills, sandalwood inlaid with ivory, glass bottles |
| Brief description | Sandalwood overlaid with porcupine quills and inlaid with ivory, with glass ink bottles and components of buffalo horn. Vishakhapatnam, made before 1872 |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | 'S. Dobie' (?) written on base in black ink
Written on the paper label stuck on the tray beneath one of the ink bottles: 'Morris' |
| Gallery label | Inkstand
Sandalwood overlaid with porcupine quills and inlaid with ivory, with glass ink bottles and components of buffalo horn
Vishakhapatnam, made before 1872
AP.50-1872
Given by Carolina Honoria Morris
The porcupine quill decoration of this piece meant that it entered the 'Animal Products' collection when it was given to the museum. The collection was begun in 1853 as a result of Prince Albert's suggestion that the new South Kensington Museum should acquire items made from natural raw materials, divided into animal, vegetable and mineral categories. Ultimately, only animal products were collected, and these were all displayed at the branch museum of Bethnal Green when it first opened in 1872.(2010) |
| Credit line | Given by Carolina Honoria Morris |
| Object history | Part of the Animal Products collection, one of the original collections diaplayed at Bethnal Green when the Museum opened there in 1872. |
| Summary | The porcupine quill decoration of this piece made in South India before 1872 meant that it entered the 'Animal Products' collection when it was given to the museum. The collection was begun in 1853 as a result of Prince Albert's suggestion that the new South Kensington Museum should acquire items made from natural raw materials, divided into animal, vegetable and mineral categories. Ultimately, only animal products were collected, and these were all displayed at the branch museum of Bethnal Green when it first opened in 1872. The inkstand was made in the city of Vishakhapatnam on the Coromandel Coast whose woodworkers supplied ivory-inlaid or veneered wares to European residents in India from the late 17th century. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | AP.50:1-1872 |
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| Record created | June 25, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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