Lidded box, silver with gilt interior, translucent beige agate lid with inscription, Lucknow India, first half of 19th century.

A shallow, rectangular octagonal, lidded box in silver with a gilt interior. The hinged lid is made from a polished, translucent beige agate which carries an inscription and is mounted in a silver frame. The exterior silverwork is engraved with short lines and various flower motifs.

This lidded box was 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 £2.

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 silver box as made in India, probably Lucknow in present-day Uttar Pradesh and former capital of the Nawabs of Awadh. It has a gilt interior with an agate panel set into the hinged lid. The upper surface of the agate is engraved within a central cartouche with a Persian inscription:

یا علی مدد

"O’ Ali help [us]"

Ali was the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad.

This is surrounded by a border in Arabic text:

ما شاء الله لا قوة الا بالله ان ترن انا اقل منك مالا وولدا

"What Allah willed [has occurred]; there is no power except in Allah'. Although you see me less than you in wealth and children"

This latter text is taken from the Quran, the 18th surah: Surat A-Kahf (The Cave) verse 39 (18:39)
The box came from the collection of William Tayler, and was bought by the Museum in 1874.

1091-1874