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ANTIQUE BOXES
at the Sign of the Hygra
2 Middleton Road
London E8 4BL
Tel: 00 44 (0)20 7254 7074
email: boxes@hygra.com |
Antique Boxes in English Society
1760 -1900
by ANTIGONE
Tea Caddies and Tea
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| An important and
monumental Anglo Indian Vizagapatam black buffalo horn tea chest
Circa 1835.
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An important and
monumental Anglo Indian Vizagapatam black buffalo horn tea chest
the horn fluted and framed by engraved horn panels,
standing on turned and carved horn feet the inside
contrasting having twin lift-out sandalwood
canisters with incised and lac filled hinged ivory lids,
flanking a cut crystal bowl. Circa 1835.
Working lock and key.
It measures inches 14.25 wide by 7.9
inches deep and it is 9 inches high including feet:
36.2 cm wide by 20 cm deep by
23 cm
high.
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See:
Anglo Indian
Anglo Indian Sewing
Box
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Detail of the top. It is turned and
carved in four pieces, centering in a concentrically turned middle
suggesting a stylized flower.
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Detail: The engraved horn is a most
unusual feature. Although engraved ivory is found on many pieces,
engraved horn is exceedingly rare. It has a delicate and fine
quality and its effect is like old lace. Perhaps its very subtle
appeal made this work the prerogative of the most discerning of
connoisseurs and as a result very few such pieces were made.
The horn is attached to the structure with both
glue and little pins made of horn. The way the engraving crosses
the joins in pieces of horn indicates that the decoration was added
after the chest was made.
The foot is complex, being both
turned and carved.
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| The fluted panels of horn
are fielded with further pieces of incised horn. Incised horn is
rare. |
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The back. |
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The inside contrasts with the
outside having twin lift-out sandalwood canisters
with incised and lac filled hinged ivory lids,
flanking a cut crystal bowl.
Sandalwood is immediately
recognizable by its perfume which it retains for hundreds of years.
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The Canisters have one side
tapered so that they fit the chest exactly. This would have added to the
complexity of making. |
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The bowl is deeply cut.
It is the original heavy hand blown
crystal mixing bowl.
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The canisters retain most of their
original leading. Even the lid is made of several different pieces
of wood and ivory.
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The ivory is decorated by being
engraved depicting scrolling flowers and leaves. Black lac fills the
incised ivory giving contrast.
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.thumb.JPG "SB536: A sandalwood basket veneered in horn and ivory. Although such baskets were a popular Vizagapatam design, this one is very unusual in that it combines both solid ivory panels incised and lac filled in traditional plant motifs and fretted ivory work. Furthermore, the central cartouches are engraved with representations of Indian deities and not floral designs which was the normal decoration on such baskets. It stands on lion paw feet. The handle is decorated with scrolling flowers in characteristic fashion. Circa 1870.")
.thumb.JPG "SB421: Anglo Indian basket form box veneered with ebony and inlaid with Sadeli mosaic having an ebony handle and standing on turned ebony feet the inside lined with sandalwood. circa 1840.")
