Arts of the Islamic World & India including Fine Rugs and Carpets

A FINE VIZAGAPATAM ROSEWOOD AND IVORY-INLAID WORKBOX, SOUTH INDIA, CIRCA 1750

Restricted SpeciesUK: Greenford Park Warehouse

Auction Closed

October 27, 04:55 PM GMT

Estimate

8,000 - 10,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

A FINE VIZAGAPATAM ROSEWOOD AND IVORY-INLAID WORKBOX, SOUTH INDIA, CIRCA 1750

of rosewood inlaid throughout with ivory plaques with scrolling floral designs engraved and highlighted with lac, central bouquet of exotic flowers, fitted interior with small compartments and drawers, decorative silver openwork mounts to sides, lock plate and hinges, with key

16.5 by 54.5 by 40cm.

This lot contains ivory and other restricted materials. Sotheby's recommends that buyers check with their own government regarding any importation requirements prior to placing a bid. For example, US regulations restrictor prohibits the import of certain items (including ivory) to protect wildlife conservation. Please note that Sotheby's will not assist buyers with CITES licence applications where a buyer elects to either collect or arrange their own shipping, nor will Sotheby's assist with the international movement of ivory by air, either as freight or through hand carry. Sotheby's shipping will only assist in shipping the lot to either domestic UK or EU destinations, where delivery is made by road transport. A buyer's inability to export or import these lots cannot justify a delay in payment or sale cancellation

inscriptions

A couplet in Persian in praise of Khuda Bakhsh Khan the founder of the famous library in Bihar.

In the main panel:

‘O You! You are the title page for literary men,

The place, the intelligent ones take refuge to (and) literary men glorify’

In the small square pane:

‘O Khuda Bakhsh!’

This box, the shape of which derives from an English form, was almost certainly produced in the town of Vizapapatam in the Northern Circars, which was situated on the Coromandel coast between the cities of Calcutta and Madras. The site of an East India Company factory since 1668, it became the centre of a thriving furniture industry during the eighteenth century. Many of the pieces, which included small tables, chairs, toilet mirrors and small boxes as in the present item, being conceived in the European manner. In 1801 Henrietta Clive, daughter of Lord Clive, visited Vizagatam and wroto to her father `We have seen the people 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 out hot Lac upon it, and when it is dry scrape it off and polish it, the Lac remains in the marks made with the pieces of iron...'.