Spice Box
ca. 1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
Small, decorative boxes of various forms (circular, hexagonal, octagonal or rectangular and others) appear in Mughal miniatures from the late 16th century onwards. Their precise function may not always be identifiable, but most were connected with the preparation and presentation of pan (pronounced paan). Pan was a quid made of chopped areca nuts mixed with spices and wrapped in a leaf that was chewed after meals. In courtly settings, the offering of pan marked the end of a visit.
Places
s.
Historical Associations
The box was exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and bought by the Museum of Ornamental Art for £31 as a 'modern' piece from Dholpur in Rajasthan. Stylistically, it relates more closely to the 19th century enamelled silver wares of Lucknow in present-day Uttar Pradesh.
Small, decorative boxes of various forms (circular, hexagonal, octagonal or rectangular and others) appear in Mughal miniatures from the late 16th century onwards. Their precise function may not always be identifiable, but most were connected with the preparation and presentation of pan (pronounced paan). Pan was a quid made of chopped areca nuts mixed with spices and wrapped in a leaf that was chewed after meals. In courtly settings, the offering of pan marked the end of a visit.
Places
s.
Historical Associations
The box was exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and bought by the Museum of Ornamental Art for £31 as a 'modern' piece from Dholpur in Rajasthan. Stylistically, it relates more closely to the 19th century enamelled silver wares of Lucknow in present-day Uttar Pradesh.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver, cast in sections, gilt and enamelled, and set with natural white sapphires |
| Brief description | Spice box, enamelled silver, Dholpur, Rajasthan, ca. 1850 |
| Physical description | Spice box, silver-gilt set with crystals and enamelled in transluscent blue, mulberry and green. Comprises of six outer hexagonal sections and a central section on top of which is a cluster of white stones resembling flowers in a vase. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | British Galleries:
The opulence of this box and many other exhibits in the Indian Court projected an image of the Indian states as offering untold wealth, all of it then under the control of the British Empire. The rich potential of India as a source of materials and goods was a principal focus of the display at the Exhibition.(25/03/2003) |
| Object history | The original acquisition information states that this was bought for £31 as a piece from "Dholepur, Rajpootana". In style it resembles Lucknow enamelled wares of the same period. Purchased from the Great Exhibition of 1851, London, as 'modern'. |
| Summary | Object Type Small, decorative boxes of various forms (circular, hexagonal, octagonal or rectangular and others) appear in Mughal miniatures from the late 16th century onwards. Their precise function may not always be identifiable, but most were connected with the preparation and presentation of pan (pronounced paan). Pan was a quid made of chopped areca nuts mixed with spices and wrapped in a leaf that was chewed after meals. In courtly settings, the offering of pan marked the end of a visit. Places s. Historical Associations The box was exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and bought by the Museum of Ornamental Art for £31 as a 'modern' piece from Dholpur in Rajasthan. Stylistically, it relates more closely to the 19th century enamelled silver wares of Lucknow in present-day Uttar Pradesh. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 131-1852 |
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| Record created | October 16, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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