Armchair
Armchair
ca. 1785 (made)
ca. 1785 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This chair, its pair and the accompanying table are of solid ivory. They were made in Murshidabad, the nawabi capital of Bengal and a famous centre of ivory-carving. Furniture makers there made small quantities of western-style pieces, possibly only as commissions. Mani Begum of Murshidabad gave these pieces as part of a special gift to Warren Hastings, the first British Governor-General of India. Their western forms and exotic working reflect the blend of tastes at Indian courts at this time.
Hastings kept his ivory furniture at Daylesford, his newly built country seat in Worcestershire (now Gloucestershire). Reverend F.E. Witts visited the house in 1827 and noted that the drawing-room was 'remarkable for its suite of ivory chairs and sofas'.
Hastings kept his ivory furniture at Daylesford, his newly built country seat in Worcestershire (now Gloucestershire). Reverend F.E. Witts visited the house in 1827 and noted that the drawing-room was 'remarkable for its suite of ivory chairs and sofas'.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Title | Armchair |
Materials and techniques | Ivory, carved, pierced and partly gilded, with a caned seat |
Brief description | Carved ivory chair, solid ivory, carved and pierced and partly gilt, Murshidabad, ca. 1785. |
Physical description | Chair, solid ivory, carved, pierced and partly gilded, with a circular cane seat. The chair is decorated with carved foliate-like motifs and has five legs, the front three of which have clawed feet. |
Dimensions |
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Credit line | Bequeathed by John Jones |
Object history | This chair is traditionally (and erroneously) associated with Tipu Sultan. |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | This chair, its pair and the accompanying table are of solid ivory. They were made in Murshidabad, the nawabi capital of Bengal and a famous centre of ivory-carving. Furniture makers there made small quantities of western-style pieces, possibly only as commissions. Mani Begum of Murshidabad gave these pieces as part of a special gift to Warren Hastings, the first British Governor-General of India. Their western forms and exotic working reflect the blend of tastes at Indian courts at this time. Hastings kept his ivory furniture at Daylesford, his newly built country seat in Worcestershire (now Gloucestershire). Reverend F.E. Witts visited the house in 1827 and noted that the drawing-room was 'remarkable for its suite of ivory chairs and sofas'. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | 1075-1882 |
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Record created | December 15, 1999 |
Record URL |
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