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Lot Essay
The panels of the fall and drawer fronts of this bureau may have come from one or more Indian ivory-inlaid cabinets-on-stand, such as that sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 19 March 1992, lot 136 (£13,000) or another, sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 26 January 1984, lot 111 (£17,000). Such inlaid work was praised as early as 1626 by Francisco Pelsaert, who noted that in Tatta, Sindh, 'Ornamental desks, draught-boards, writing-cases and similar goods are manufactured locally in large quantities; they are very prettily inlaid with ivory and ebony, and used to be exported in large quantities to Goa and the coast towns' (A. Jaffer, Luxury Goods from India, London, 2002, p. 18).
A similar bureau, incorporating Italian 17th century ebony and ivory panels, signed 'Michael Sadler fecit roma 1651', was sold anonymously, Christie's New York, 18 October 2001, lot 129 ($32,900). Jaffer notes that many Indian forms, especially games-tables inlaid with sadeli mosaic-work, were manufactured in Italy. Were it not for the Indian timbers, the panels may be identifiable as Italian (ibid., p. 21).
A similar bureau, incorporating Italian 17th century ebony and ivory panels, signed 'Michael Sadler fecit roma 1651', was sold anonymously, Christie's New York, 18 October 2001, lot 129 ($32,900). Jaffer notes that many Indian forms, especially games-tables inlaid with sadeli mosaic-work, were manufactured in Italy. Were it not for the Indian timbers, the panels may be identifiable as Italian (ibid., p. 21).