Plaque, octagonal, pierced and carved openwork in floral design, dark greenish grey nephrite jade, inset turquoise cabochons, gold-painted detail, red silk-covered backing plate

An octagonal plaque fashioned in dark greenish grey nephrite jade and expertly pierced and carved in an intricate flower and leaf design within a narrow octagonal frame. The edges have been incised with a narrow circumferential groove and inset with small turquoise cabochons, one on each corner and four along each side. The cabochons have been set in a resin, probably lac, and the grooves have been filled with the same material. The settings and the grooves have then been covered with gold paint. There is a small hole in each corner, drilled perpendicular to the face, and there is also gold painted detail on the central, carved flower and on the top face of the side borders. The plaque has been mounted onto an octagonal backing plate that has been covered in red silk.
The plaque with frame was originally carved in one piece but it has since been broken in several places and one part of the frame is missing. There are also signs of earlier, failed attempts at repair.

This plaque was acquired by William Tayler during his time in India (1829-1867). He subsequently sold it to the South Kensington Museum (later renamed the Victoria & Albert Museum) in 1874 for the sum of £5-0-0.

William Tayler was educated in England at Charterhouse and also spent a term at Christ Church, Oxford. He entered service with the East India Company on 30th April 1829, arriving in India in October of the same year. He held various posts in Bengal and was appointed Commissioner of Patna in 1855. During his service, he was able to acquire many objects, including hardstones, relating to the customs and religions of India as well as objects from other parts of South Asia.
He was criticised for his handling of the uprisings in Northern India and was moved to a lesser post before being suspended, ultimately resigning on 29th March 1859. He then practised as an advocate in the law courts of Bengal before returning to England in 1867.
He wrote a book about his experiences, entitled Thirty-eight Years in India, in which he states that "After my return to England, circumstances induced me, though with great reluctance, to part with the collection which is now in the South Kensington Museum".

Although this plaque has suffered damage over its history, it was originally fashioned from a single piece of nephrite jade and subsequently mounted onto a hard, silk-covered backing. It was probably intended to be a mirror back, and was made within the Mughal emire, probably in the late 18th or early 19th century. Nephrite is a hard and durable material that requires patience and skill to work successfully and, despite the carved detail not being of the finest quality, it is nevertheless the work of an experienced craftsman. Even though nephrite is a tough material, as can be seen, when it has been worked to give thin or intricately pierced areas, it can be susceptible to impact damage.

657-1874