VIZIGAPATAM, CIRCA 1820-1840

Details

AN ANGLO-INDIAN ENGRAVED-IVORY VENEERED TABLE CASKET
VIZIGAPATAM, CIRCA 1820-1840
Of rectangular outline with floral borders
3¼ in. (8.2 cm.) high; 10 5/8 in. (27 cm.) wide; 8 1/8 in. (20.6 cm.) deep

Special notice

This lot is offered without reserve. No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Sale room notice

Please note that this lot may require a CITES licence in order to be exported outside of the EU.

Lot Essay

The flowered ivory dressing-table or 'toilet' display box is engraved in 'India' fashion with a floral sprig tablet and chintz-like ribboned borders that was a speciality of 18th century Vizigapatam craftsmen and became known as 'pen painting' or 'inlaying'. Similar engraving embellishes a sofa work-table, which was shipped from Madras in 1801, and is now at Powis Castle, Wales. It bears the name of Lady Clive, who wrote in that year from Vizigapatam about the craftsmen she had seen 'inlaying' the ivory, 'it appears very simple, they draw the pattern..they intend with a pencil and then cut it out slightly with a small piece of Iron, they afterwards put hot Lac upon it, and when it is dry scrape it off and polish it.' (A. Jaffer Furniture from British India and Ceylon London, 2001 pp.173-174).

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