Boxes

Bombay Presidency

• Late 19th century
  15 x 38 x 30 cms

This writing box is of sandalwood exterior with geometric parquetry of cubes in ivory, wood & sadeli within borders of ebony, sadeli and ivory, with silvered brass lock & hinges. The desk is rectangular with two hinged lids, a sloping front lid that opens out into a writing surface, & a raised rear lid that encloses compartments for writing equipment. Both lids are secured by a single lock, whose keyhole, with its brass surround, is positioned on the panel at the back of the front lid. The inner face of the lid of the rear section is inlaid with a sadeli circle surrounded by smaller circles & is fitted for the storage of writing equipment including three compartments with detachable sadeli lids & five wells, one with a concave pen holder of ebony inlaid with sadeli circles. The slope folds out into a purple velvet writing surface, the upper part of which is hinged & encloses a storage space with three drawers with sadeli fronts. The underside of the desk is also lined with purple velvet.

For a related example:
p. 317, fig.129 from Furniture from British India & Ceylon, Amin Jaffer.