Inkwell
ca. 1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This inkwell was made in Agra, India. The fame of the Taj Mahal has always drawn visitors to Agra from all over the Indian subcontinent, as well as from abroad. Local craftsmen created the inlaid decoration of the 17th century monument, and by the 19th century were making small portable objects in marble, or the cheaper material alabaster, inlaid with semi-precious stones to sell to visitors who came to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. This inkwell was bought by the Museum of Ornamental Art from the Great Exhibition of 1851 for £19 as an example of modern work from the city.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 6 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Marble, carved and inlaid with semi-precious stones |
| Brief description | Inkstand with three lidded inkpots, marble inlaid with semi precious stones, Agra, ca. 1850 |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | British Galleries:
This inkwell is decorated with patterns derived from the decoration of the Taj Mahal, the Mughal mausoleum in Agra. Already by the mid-19th century the Taj Mahal had become one of the most famous tourist sites in India. A trade in small-scale souvenir objects made in marble was developed to meet demand.(27/03/2003) |
| Object history | Purchased from the Great Exhibition of 1851, London, as 'modern'. Art Museum catalogue entry: Inkstand. Alabaster, inlaid with floral ornament in mosaic of precious stones. Indian (Agra), modern. Great Exhibition 1851, 19 l. L 14" W 10 1/2" |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This inkwell was made in Agra, India. The fame of the Taj Mahal has always drawn visitors to Agra from all over the Indian subcontinent, as well as from abroad. Local craftsmen created the inlaid decoration of the 17th century monument, and by the 19th century were making small portable objects in marble, or the cheaper material alabaster, inlaid with semi-precious stones to sell to visitors who came to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. This inkwell was bought by the Museum of Ornamental Art from the Great Exhibition of 1851 for £19 as an example of modern work from the city. |
| Bibliographic reference | Bryant, Julius and Weber, Susan; John Lockwood Kipling: Arts and Crafts in the Punjab and London Newhaven: Yale University Press, 2017
fig. 1.21, cat. 20, p. 10 and p. 527 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 951 to E-1852 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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