Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
South Asia Gallery, Room 41

Candlestick

ca. 1800 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This solid ivory candelabra and its pair (Museum no. W.17-1960) came to the V&A in 1960. At that time experts thought that they had been made in England in about 1780-1800. This was because their design matched English metalwork of that period. However, experts also thought that some of the decoration was out of character, which suggested that the candelabra had a non-European origin. The idea that the candelabra were made in India was only accepted after 1964. At this time V&A curators learned of a piece in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. This piece was similar in style to the candelabra and curators knew that it had been made in British India in about 1780-1800.


Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Solid ivory, carved and partly gilded
Brief description
Candlestick, one of a pair, solid ivory, carved and partly gilded, Murshidabad, ca. 1800.
Physical description
Candlestick, one of a pair, solid ivory, carved and partly gilded.
Dimensions
  • Height: 57cm
  • Width: 42cm
Summary
This solid ivory candelabra and its pair (Museum no. W.17-1960) came to the V&A in 1960. At that time experts thought that they had been made in England in about 1780-1800. This was because their design matched English metalwork of that period. However, experts also thought that some of the decoration was out of character, which suggested that the candelabra had a non-European origin. The idea that the candelabra were made in India was only accepted after 1964. At this time V&A curators learned of a piece in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. This piece was similar in style to the candelabra and curators knew that it had been made in British India in about 1780-1800.
Associated object
W.17-1960 (Set)
Bibliographic reference
Amin Jaffer, Luxury Goods From India: the art of the Indian Cabinet-Maker, London : V&A, 2002, pp. 92-93, ill. ISBN: 1 85177 381 9.
Collection
Accession number
W.17A-1960

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Record createdNovember 29, 2002
Record URL
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