Table
early 20th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In the late 19th century, octagonal tables of this form were made in a number of wood-working centres in India. They were made in large numbers, but the design itself is not Indian, for it derives from Middle Eastern furniture. Original examples of this form were brought from Cairo in Egypt to India, specifically with the aim of copying them and exporting the copies to Europe, where there was then a great taste for 'Moorish' and 'Arab' furnishings. This example was made in the Punjab, a region in north-west India known for its traditions of pinjra (lattice-work), metal and wood inlay.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Shisham wood, carved and inlaid with shaped pieces of brass, copper and ebony.
Shisham wood is from the deciduous tree of the the sub-Himalayan tract. It is a durable wood, which does not warp or split and is one of the most esteemed woods used for furniture making in the north of India along with deodar (Himalayan cedar). While Rosewood and sal are more commonly found furniture and wares of the south, inlaid and wood carving from Saharanpur, Farakhabad, Lucknow, Chiniot, Hoshiapur and Jallandar would be based on shisham wood. |
| Brief description | Octagonal eight legged table; wood inlaid with copper, brass and ebony. Panjab, early 20th Century. |
| Physical description | Eight legged octagonal shaped table of shisham-wood, carved and inlaid with shaped pieces of brass, copper and ebony-wood. The center of the table top depicts an eight-pointed star with a circular floral design. The octagonal base is hinged for folding. The upper portion of the eight sides has square panels of interlaced octagons creating an ornamental screen and the lower portion imitates the typical window of a Panjabi house. |
| Credit line | Purchased from R. A. Dara, Esq., 129 Holland Road, Kensington, W.14 |
| Object history | Purchased from R. A. Dara, Esq., 129 Holland Road, Kensington, W.14. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project. R.P. 1922-2225 |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | In the late 19th century, octagonal tables of this form were made in a number of wood-working centres in India. They were made in large numbers, but the design itself is not Indian, for it derives from Middle Eastern furniture. Original examples of this form were brought from Cairo in Egypt to India, specifically with the aim of copying them and exporting the copies to Europe, where there was then a great taste for 'Moorish' and 'Arab' furnishings. This example was made in the Punjab, a region in north-west India known for its traditions of pinjra (lattice-work), metal and wood inlay. |
| Bibliographic reference | Jaffer, Amin Furniture from British India and Ceylon: A Catalogue of the Collections in the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum. London : V&A Publications, 2001. 416 p., ill. ISBN 1851773185, p.293, pl.115.. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IM.37:1&2-1922 |
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| Record created | September 12, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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