Box and cover in beige/grey marble with fine dark brown/grey banding, serpent figure on the cover, Agra India, 19th century

A rectangular box and cover fashioned in a beige/grey marble with fine, dark brown/grey banding.
The box is of simple, five-piece construction with the four sides abutting each other upon a flat base. All the pieces are held in place with an adhesive.
The cover is fashioned from similar material and has a perimeter ground deeper that the central portion which fits snugly within the box. Down the middle along the length, there is a well-carved, black marble figure of a coiled/entwined snake with one inset pink eye (the other is missing) and a slightly gaping mouth that has been coloured red.

This box and cover were acquired by William Tayler during his time in India (1829-1867). He subsequently sold it to the South Kensington Museum in 1874 for the sum of £1.

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".

Although this box is of unsophisticated construction, it has been finished to a good standard. It has been further lifted by the addition of the very competently worked snake (probably a cobra) that has been carved in one piece, with a painted mouth and inset eyes.

1101&A-1874