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Writing box

Writing box

  • Place of origin:

    calcutta, India (made)

  • Date:

    ca. 1855-ca. 1867 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Rosewood, inlaid with ebony, ivory and sadeli, the exterior veneered, the interior lined with sandalwood, with a brass lock, silvered brass hinges and purple velvet lined writing surface

  • Museum number:

    02264(IS)

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

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This writing case has several uses. The lid is marked out for various games, including cribbage, chess and fox and geese. It lifts up and folds out into a velvet-lined writing slope with compartments for ink, pens and paper. The maker has decorated the box with inlay of sadeli, a type of micro-mosaic made up of faceted strips of wood and ivory. The sadeli technique was widely practised in the area around Bombay. This piece was made in Calcutta, probably by a family of sadeli artisans who had migrated there from Bombay at sometime round about the 1850s.

Physical description

Writing box and games board.

Place of Origin

calcutta, India (made)

Date

ca. 1855-ca. 1867 (made)

Artist/maker

unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Rosewood, inlaid with ebony, ivory and sadeli, the exterior veneered, the interior lined with sandalwood, with a brass lock, silvered brass hinges and purple velvet lined writing surface

Dimensions

Height: 10 cm, Width: 31 cm, Depth: 23 cm

Object history note

Acquired by the Indian Museum possibly from the Universal Exhibition, Paris of 1855 or 1867.

Descriptive line

Writng box and games board, rosewood, c.1855 or c.1867, Calcutta.

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

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.234, pl.76..

Materials

Ivory; Brass; Velvet; Ebony; Rosewood; Sandalwood

Techniques

Inlay; Mosaic

Collection code

SSEA

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Qr_O71220
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