Anglo-Indian Decorative Objects

An unusually large stag horn veneered sandal wood sewing box from Vizagapatam, India. This large, fitted box in the Regency taste has tapered sides and a two-tiered sloped lid, all c...

Unusual Coco de Mer with its iconic form perfectly undecorated. Found on the Seychelles archipelago and presented on a custom aluminum stand.

Anglo Indian carved mahogany cat with ebonized stripes and a curious expression, featuring a secret compartment on the bottom.

Wonderful writing box made from a tropical hardwood Fabulous shape and plain fluted carving. It gives it a modernist appearance Probably Sri Lankan 3 secret drawers* Replaced lea...

This is a solid silver Anglo-Indian bowl decorated with seated Dieties and made in India in the late 19th century, circa 1880. The small circular bowl is made of solid silver and has a low foot. The bowl has been beautifully hand chased with seated Dieties in different poses within circular panels which form a continuous pattern around the bowl set between a flower and leaf motif, with a lower border below the figures. The bowl weighs 79 gram. Overall, a beautiful antique solid silver bowl.

A stunning camel bone, ebony and metal inlaid sadeli work box with portable writing desk, Bombay, circa 1850. The sandalwood body of faceted rec...

Exquisitely crafted early 20th century Anglo Indian micro mosaic Sadeli box with gorgeous antique Persian geometric pattern. The finely detailed box featu...

This is a large, vintage leather elephant sculpture. A three foot tall, at trunk (72cm to back) striding elephant model dating to the mid-20th...

Decorative Mughal Raj Vizagapatam Carved Veneered Bone Jewelry Rectangular shape Box. Vintage Asian lidded box crafted with bone finely engraved and hand painted in black with geometric Moorish designs. Delightful Anglo Indian footed box crafted with an intricate patterned polished bone inlay mosaic over a wood frame. Handmade in Vizagapatam, India, mid 20th century. Elegant intricate pattern. A true work of Islamic artwork...

A stunning Indian blue peacock taxidermy mount showcasing its signature iridescent blue and green plumage, this piece is a testament to nature's artistry. The vibrant metallic hues o...

Cartier Card and Envelope Stationery Set Mughal Majorie Merriweather Emerald Brooch Design. Luxury Stationery Cartier cards and envelopes with a Cartier design of the Majorie Merriweather Post's Jewelry Emerald Gem Brooch. Note Cards Stationery, Fine Paper Goods, Designer Limited Edition by Maison Cartier. Cartier Famous Majorie Merriweather Post's Jewelry Emerald Mughal Period Gems, Art Deco Pendant Brooch Featured Engraved Note Cards and Silver Lined Envelopes Stationery, Fine Paper Goods, Great Desk Accessory stationery notes. Back of note card reads: Cartier London, 1923, altered by Cartier New York, 1928, Provenance: Majorie Merriweather Post, Cartier. Great condition circa late 20th century. Include in the box: 9 cards/ 10 envelopes. Emboss printed cardstock construction, the enveloppe are also embossed Cartier. Card: 4 5/8" x 6 1/4". Envelope : 6 3/4"W x 4 7/5"H. Box: 5.5 x 7.25 x 1.25 in. Since 1918, Cartier has offered personalized writing papers and invitations, as well as announcements and Holiday cards. Cartier’ s stationery and invitations are characterized by the finest 100% cotton fiber papers, fabulous designs, and impeccable engraving. About the jewel in the picture: This Historical Emerald Brooch is considered the "most beautiful jewelry of the twentieth century." The Indian-style brooch is composed of one hexagonal-shaped emerald, one oval-shaped emerald, five emerald drops, two pear-shaped emeralds, five round emeralds, sixty-five smaller emeralds, one pear-shaped diamond, and 801 round diamonds mounted in platinum. The horseshoe-shaped buckle at the top is equipped on the back with a hanger and clasp with pins so that the piece can be worn as a pendant for an emerald necklace or as a brooch. An arch-shaped armature is attached to the buckle. Both feature pavé-set diamond grounds studded with emeralds. Four lines of calibré-cut emeralds decorate where they join. At the center of the bottom of the buckle is a large Mughal emerald...

An unusually large stag horn veneered sandal wood sewing box from Vizagapatam, India. This large, fitted box in the Regency taste has tapered sides and a two-tiered sloped lid, all c...

Vintage Brass and Mother of Pearl, shell Candlesticks. A pair of vintage brass and mother of pearl candle holder. These 8.25″ tall ca...

Vizagapatam box, India, 19th century. This highly decorative and unusual Anglo-Indian table box features rustic workmanship that adds to the character and charm of this unique Sout...

Impressive antique Anglo Indian lidded box handcrafted in indigenous hardwoods clad in tortoise shell and decorated with elaborate lacy bone designs, featuring an etched and painted ...

Shiva is one of the main gods of Hinduism. In Shivism, he is considered to the believers as the most important manifestation of the Supreme. As part of the "Houtuistic Trinity" (Trim...

Made of rosewood, this antique tea caddy is distinguished by its porcupine quill detailing. Featuring elements of ebony and ivory dots, the hinge lidded box...

Impressive antique Anglo Indian lidded box handcrafted in indigenous hardwoods clad in tortoise shell and decorated with elaborate lacy bone designs, featuring an etched and painted ...

A pair of antique etched brass metal lassi cups that would make beautiful vases. Lassi is a blend of yogurt, water, spices, and sometimes fruit. For generat...

Indian brass lidded cigarette holder / trinket box, with hand engraved Mughal floral designs all around. Completely hand wrought piece with exquisite detail. Hand crafted in India, c...

Ebony wood hand carved anglo Indian elephant sculpture. Gorgeous vintage black hand carved wood ebony Anglo-Indian elephant. This is a hand ca...

Large Anglo Indian Moorish Islamic style micro mosaic inlaid jewelry box with lid. Intricate inlaid Anglo Persian box with floral and geometric Moorish Sadeli design in an hexagonal shape form with micro mosaic marquetry, very fine artwork. Museum collector piece like the one in Doris Duke Islamic Art Museum. The repeating geometric patterns of Sadeli Mosaic are what give it beauty and richness. This decorative technique is a type of micro mosaic featuring repeating geometric patterns. Dimensions: H: 5 in : 12 in W x 12 in. D. Circa 1950s. Sadeli mosaic art is a highly skilled craft, it has had a long history in India and the Middle East with early examples dating back to the 16th century. In the 1800s, it became popular as a decoration on a variety of boxes, card cases, and chess boards imported from India. Since Bombay became a center of making them, they became known as Bombay boxes. The ancient art of Sadeli Mosaic is said to have been introduced from Shiraz in Persia via Sind to Bombay, a long time before Indian boxes appeared. The designs on early boxes look deceptively simple. The fact is they emerged from a culture which had mastered geometry and understood how to generate a pattern from a set number of points. The patterns are so harmoniously combined that their incredible complexity isn’t immediately apparent to the viewer. Will look great in a Moroccan decor...

Unusual Coco de Mer with its iconic form perfectly undecorated. Found on the Seychelles archipelago and presented on a custom aluminum stand.

Handcrafted round picture frame with scalloped white buffalo bone inlaid. Vintage round inlaid bone picture Moorish Islamic style frame. Wood backing. Size: 7" H x 7" W x 0.75" D Pic...

Exotic Amboyna From our Jewellery Box collection, we are delighted to introduce this large Anglo-Indian Campaign Amboyna Box. The Amboyna Box of large rectangular form veneered in b...

Impressive Anglo Indian box crafted in mahogany and clad in tortoise shell decorated with bone straps, carved and painted floral panels, and paw feet. The inside has a mirror and bon...

PRESENTING a LOVELY 19C Anglo Indian Bombay MOP (Mother of Pearl) Sadeli Mosaic Trinket Box from circa 1875-85. Gorgeously detailed and hand-crafted ‘sadeli mosaic’ inlay, from the Bombay Area, with deep greens with silver, pewter, mother of pearl, bone and ebony in geometric patterns. The box case, is made of sandalwood but completely covered in MOP, bone, faux ivory, ebony and mosaic inlay. Edged with faux ivory and banded with a different pattern of sadeli mosaic. Some minor damage to the top (repair is obvious in pics) and ivorine replacements to some edging, but it still a BEAUTIFUL BOX and of real QUALITY! The mosaic work is FABULOUS! Box opens to reveal its original blue velvet lining. It sits on 4 (recently added) silvered button feet. SADELI MOSAIC: “Anglo Indian boxes were made in India for the English residents from the early part of the 18th century. They were brought back or sent back to England usually by the people who had commissioned them. From the beginning of the nineteenth century they were imported more commercially, although not in any significant numbers until the middle decades. They were very highly valued, especially the early ones, to the extent that the designs were copied on late 19th and early 20th century tins. The ancient art of Sadeli Mosaic is said to have been introduced from Shiraz in Persia via Sind to Bombay, a long time before the Anglo Indian boxes were made. It was a technique, which required a high degree of skill and patience. It was executed very lavishly, in that the frequent cuts wasted a great amount of the precious materials used. The workmanship was however more than commensurable to the value of the materials. Ivory, silver, pewter (or other metals), wood and horn were cut into faceted rods which were bound together to form geometric patterns. When the glue has set, the rods were sliced in transverse sections. This gave the maker a number of angled circular pieces in the original pattern. Several variations of patterns could be achieved by combining the materials in different ways. The ivory was sometimes dyed green to give an extra color. The mosaic pieces in a combination of patterns, often separated by ivory, ebony, horn or silver stringing were used to veneer sandalwood boxes. In the early boxes, which date from the turn of the 18th to the 19th century, there are large panels of mosaic covering tops and sides of boxes. It took incredible skill to cover such large areas without any shakes or wavering of the pattern. The corners and joins on these boxes are impeccably matched. The makers (reputed to be Persian) of Sadeli mosaic made in the first two decades of the 19th century displayed a total understanding of the qualities of the different materials they used. They combined substances, which can expand and contract according to atmospheric conditions with others, which are hard and unyielding. The result was a sharp definition of the lines and patterns, which made up the whole design. On the early boxes the designs look deceptively simple. The fact is, they emerged from a culture, which had mastered geometry and understood how to generate a pattern from a set number of points. The patterns are so harmoniously combined that their incredible complexity is not immediately apparent. The earliest Sadeli boxes...

Shiva is one of the main gods of Hinduism. In Shivism, he is considered to the believers as the most important manifestation of the Supreme. As part of the "Houtuistic Trinity" (Trim...

Impressive antique Anglo Indian British colonial lidded box handcrafted in a rectangular form featuring a top with a micro marquetry medallion, co...

Pair of Mid-Century male and female pheasants composed of handcrafted silvered metal, featuring hinged wings and removable heads. Presented on custom ebonized stands.  

Anglo-Indian penwork decorated veneered sandalwood box in the Regency taste, the two-tier sloped lid with a fluted carved upper tier above a smooth lower tier with penwork border and...

A very attractive vintage inlaid rosewood Indian jewelry box. The hinged box made is from solid figured rosewood and finely and is sumptuously inla...

A very attractive vintage inlaid rosewood Indian jewelry box. The hinged box made is from solid figured rosewood and finely and is sumptuously inla...

Very fine early 19th century carved ebony writing slope, the exterior richly carved with foliate decoration, the interior profusely inlaid with bon...

Amusing pair of antique anglo Indian birds with a folky charm that have been carved from indigenous hardwood and painted a long ago, now with a rustic patina. Presented on custom sta...

Antique Anglo-Indian quill box handcrafted and decorated with porcupine quills and bone dots. Made in Ceylon which was the colonial name for Sri Lanka.

Monumental Anglo-Indian Polychromed Rajasthan Bulbous Covered Tole Urn India, Circa 1960s A monumental example of Anglo-Indian workmanship, this polychromed Rajasthan bulbous cove...

Impressive antique Anglo Indian lap top desk crafted in quills and ebony decorated with bone dots. The surprising interior has multiple components featuring a felt writing surface, n...

Pair of Igorot tribesmen figural wood carvings depicting hunter and huntress with companion canines, weaponry, and displayed on circular fluted plinth...

Vintage Mid Century Moorish Sajai Box Inlaid with Agate Semi precious Stones box with semi-precious stones. Made in India, circa 1950. The box measures 1 inches high x 3 inches in di...

Vintage handcrafted jadeite glass elephant set of 7 sculptures. Vintage elephant figurine made from translucent, mint green, Peking glass in...

Presenting an absolutely stunning 19c Anglo Ceylonese sewing box of museum quality. Made in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) circa 1860, this is one of the finest sewing boxes of it’s kind that we have ever seen! The box is made from coromandel wood (an exotic hardwood found in Ceylon) and has a serpentine edging all over the front, back and sides. Very often the lids/tops of these boxes suffer cracks due to shrinkage but this one is near perfect with no crack in the lid/top. There is some evidence of natural shrinkage but that is around the edges of the lid/top. It is when you open this box that it reveals it’s true beauty, quality and treasure ! The inside of the lid/top is heavily and beautifully decorated with inlaid bone in scrolling floral patterns which have then been hand painted with red and black ‘lac’ ink. The central medallion is a circle of inlaid specimen exotic hardwoods radiating towards a central bone and hand painted flower. The circle is edged in bone, wood and silver chevrons. What makes this box Exceptionally rare is that it contains 3 lift out base sections. Normally, there would be a maximum of 2. The first tray/section is clearly for the purposes ancillary to sewing with a pair of sections with bone spools for thread etc. There are 17 other lidded compartments with each one highly decorated using hand painted bone and specimen woods to replicate tortoiseshell. The first tray lifts out to reveal a second removeable tray which is made up of a pair of open sections and 8 specimen wood lidded sections each with chevron banding. The third tray is a smaller tray underneath with 14 lidded compartments each with hand painted bone and specimen wood inlaid lids again, replicating the look of tortoiseshell. Again they are banded with a chevron border. This is a museum quality piece ! It is in fantastic condition for it’s age with the minor shrinkage to the edges of the lid/top, some finger pulls missing and some very minor cracks to the tray lids and bases but nothing that in any way detracts from the piece. No key. Dimensions: Closed the box is 16.75 inches wide, 11.25 inches deep and 7.5 inches high Fully open the box is 16.5 inches high, 16.75 inches wide and 11.4 inches deep Anglo-Indian and ceylonese boxes: Anglo Indian boxes were made in India for the English residents from the early part of the 18th century. They were brought back or sent back to England usually by the people who had commissioned them. From the beginning of the nineteenth century they were imported more commercially, although not in any significant numbers until the middle decades. They were very highly valued, especially the early ones, to the extent that the designs were copied on late 19th and early 20th century tins. Anglo-Indian boxes normally consist of 3 main types:- (1) Most of the best and highest quality Anglo-Indian boxes in the 18th and 19th centuries were made in Vizagapatam, India, renowned for its exquisite craftsmanship in using ivory and tortoiseshell and lac decoration. These are referred to as ‘Vizagapatam Boxes...

Charming petite antique Anglo Indian lidded box handcrafted in indigenous hardwoods clad in tortoise shell and decorated with elaborate lacy bone designs, featuring an etched and pai...

Pair of Anglo-Indian Cast & Engraved Brass Ewers, Black Enamel & British Coins, India, 1960s An exotic pair of Anglo-Indian cast and engraved brass ewers, crafted in India during th...

Inlaid table cabinet with six compartments and two handles. This is a beautifully decorated crafted box reflecting the craftsmanship and cultural influences of Goa during the colonia...

Anglo Indian hexagonal porcupine quill and bone inlaid box comprised of dark hardwood and inlaid with bone dots framing the panels of regimented porcupine quills. The lid opens to re...

Impressive antique Anglo Indian British colonial lidded box handcrafted in a rectangular form featuring a top with a micro marquetry medallion, co...

Impressive antique Anglo Indian lap top desk crafted in quills and ebony decorated with bone dots. The surprising interior has multiple components featuring a felt writing surface, n...

Charming petite antique Anglo Indian lidded box handcrafted in indigenous hardwoods clad in tortoise shell and decorated with elaborate lacy bone designs, featuring an etched and pai...

A charming pair of ebony elephants sculpted out of solid ebony, modelled in a striding stance,  also more unusual having the textured surface giving them better effect. In good condition with no breaks, nicely patinated surface and still retaining the original carved bone tusks...

Lofty group of four Anglo Indian swan sculptures or objects of art handcrafted with sea or nautilus shells and hammered metalwork bases necks and heads with stone eyes. Largest: H: ...

Anglo-Indian Mother of Pearl Inlaid jewelry Box. 1940s Victorian Anglo Indian box in silver, bone and mother of pearl Inlaid. An elegant Anglo Indian bon...

Anglo-Indian penwork decorated veneered sandalwood box in the Regency taste, the two-tier sloped lid with a fluted carved upper tier above a smooth lower tier with penwork border and...

Anglo-Raj style silvered footed vase. Decorated with embossed floral pattern. Great to use as wine or champagne bucket cooler for a chic Bohe...

Presenting a fabulously rare 18c Indo-Portuguese Vargueno mini cabinet. Extremely rare, highly important and desirable colonial piece ! It is an In...

PRESENTING A BEAUTIFUL and RARE 19C Anglo Ceylonese Specimen Wood Trinket Box. Made in ‘Galle’, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) circa 1860-80. Made for the ex...

Vintage hand carved wood jewelry trinket storage box with brass inlaid. Hand-carved large wooden Anglo-Raj jewelry box. Found in Kashmir, India. Mi...

Vintage South Asian / Kashmir hand painted papier mâché box with removeable lid - featuring a profuse floral pattern over the top and sides set against a black lacquer background - h...

An exquisite Indian Koftgari work box, or jewelry box, circa 1900, in oval shape. Featuring very fine, gold thread decoration with three silvered bun feet and a silvered base. The li...

Vintage Indian Hand-Painted Metal Water Vessel Vase. This stunning vintage Indian water vessel is a large, hand-painted metal piece that combines the beauty of traditional Rajasthani artistry with functional design. Featuring vibrant, polychrome depictions of couples in traditional attire, it tells a charming love story through intricate scenes of courtship. A true statement piece from the mid-20th century, this antique water vessel...

An unusual antique/vintage Indian Khond tribe attributed stylized patinated metal, possibly bronze, seated dog figure sculpture believed to date to the late 19th or early 20th centur...

PRESENTING A LOVELY 19C Anglo Indian Highly Carved Sadeli Mosaic Inlaid Sewing Box. Made in Bombay, India, circa 1880. The box is made of sandalwood with highly carved raised teak wood panels on all sides, depicting temple scenes, animals and foliage. The box is in a sarcophagus form. It is edged in bone (and we can tell it is bone and not ivory, from the color and evidence of capillaries, which are not found in ivory), and banded with Bombay Sadeli mosaic and ebony veneer. The lid opens to reveal a removable tray with various open compartments and lidded compartments. 5 lidded compartments, 1 unlidded compartment and 8 holders for thimbles, etc The tray lifts to reveal a blue velvet (original) lined section, for storing jewelry etc, with sections for collars etc. The inside of the lid has a removable mirror (the mirror is missing on this one but can easily be replaced). Behind the mirror is the original green velvet lining. It has its original brass carry handles on the sides and sits on 4 silvered button feet (of recent origin). Some repairs to the exterior and condition issues (priced accordingly), but still a LOVELY COLLECTIBLE box! These boxes were made by superb Indian craftsmen, specifically for sale to the ruling British elite. These types of boxes, carved padouk and sandalwood, (whilst beautiful and superbly crafted) were of a lesser quality, than the more profusely and intricately mosaic inlay, tortoiseshell and ivory boxes, made for the British ‘Upper Classes’ in the areas of Bombay and Vizagapatam. These type of boxes were much more affordable back in 1880 (and indeed today) and would probably have been bought by mid-level diplomats, civil servants or visitors. Sewing boxes (in general), were in EVERY Victorian home in Britain in the 19th century and like other boxes etc were ‘status symbols’ of your place in society! The more ornate the box, the more ‘Upper Class’ you were! SADELI MOSAIC: “Anglo Indian boxes were made in India for the English residents from the early part of the 18th century. They were brought back or sent back to England usually by the people who had commissioned them. From the beginning of the nineteenth century they were imported more commercially, although not in any significant numbers until the middle decades. They were very highly valued, especially the early ones, to the extent that the designs were copied on late 19th and early 20th century tins. The ancient art of Sadeli Mosaic is said to have been introduced from Shiraz in Persia via Sind to Bombay, a long time before the Anglo Indian boxes were made. It was a technique, which required a high degree of skill and patience. It was executed very lavishly, in that the frequent cuts wasted a great amount of the precious materials used. The workmanship was however more than commensurable to the value of the materials. Ivory, silver, pewter (or other metals), wood and Horn were cut into faceted rods which were bound together to form geometric patterns. When the glue has set, the rods were sliced in transverse sections. This gave the maker a number of angled circular pieces in the original pattern. Several variations of patterns could be achieved by combining the materials in different ways. The ivory was sometimes dyed green to give an extra color. The mosaic pieces in a combination of patterns, often separated by ivory, ebony, Horn or silver stringing were used to veneer sandalwood boxes. In the early boxes, which date from the turn of the 18th to the 19th century, there are large panels of mosaic covering tops and sides of boxes. It took incredible skill to cover such large areas without any shakes or wavering of the pattern. The corners and joins on these boxes are impeccably matched. The makers (reputed to be Persian) of Sadeli mosaic made in the first two decades of the 19th century displayed a total understanding of the qualities of the different materials they used. They combined substances, which can expand and contract according to atmospheric conditions with others, which are hard and unyielding. The result was a sharp definition of the lines and patterns, which made up the whole design. On the early boxes the designs look deceptively simple. The fact is, they emerged from a culture, which had mastered geometry and understood how to generate a pattern from a set number of points. The patterns are so harmoniously combined that their incredible complexity is not immediately apparent. The earliest Sadeli boxes...

Vintage White Marble Open Lotus Flower Shape Large Blow Hand-Carved in India Raj MughalHandcrafted in India, you can use this lotus form bowl indoor or outdo...

Cartier Paris Card and Envelope Set of 9 with the Iconic Panther Jewelry Design. Authentic Luxury Cartier Stationery Card Letter and Envelope Black Pan...

Victorian Import 19th Century Moorish Tortoiseshell and Bone Trinket Box, Lined with Blue Velvet on Paw Feet. Ideal for jewellery or keepsakes or jus...

Hand crafted leather tiger sculpture. Likely Anglo Indian period after the turn of the century. Meticulously hand painted however the orange ha...

Intriguing antique Anglo-Indian stand masterfully carved from indigenous hardwood depicting three water buffaloes supporting a carved round molding.

Antique Anglo-Indian Carved Ebony Figural Elephant Inkwell Desk Stand. This is an antique Victorian colonial decorative desk ebony wood stand. Late 19...

Antique Southeast Asian Polychrome Wooden Oversized Temple Horse from India. Large Antique Southeast Asian Carved Polychrome Wood Horses. Antique Southeast Asian carved wood model of a parade horse. the body with allover polychrome, saddle and reins carved in high relief, the tail lacquered. 19th century hand carved oversized wooden Indian temple horse...

PRESENTING A GORGEOUS 19C Anglo Indian Highly Carved Sadeli Mosaic Sarcophagus Sewing Box. Made in Bombay, India circa 1860-80. Box made of sandalwood with highly carved teak wood reliefs and panels on all sides. Edged with bone and ebony veneers and glorious sadeli mosaic, made from tiny pieces of faux ivory, pewter, green semi-precious stone. The box is in a sarcophagus form with domed lid. The original brass carry handles are on the sides. The interior is in great condition and consists of a removeable mirror under the lid portion, with the original red velvet lining behind it. The base is removeable and contains a number of lidded compartments. 6 of the interior lids on the base, are each inlaid with sadeli mosaic banding. The rest are also carved and chased. The interior is fully complete with 7 lidded faux ivory/bone, thread canisters with sadeli domes and the original bone thimble. The box sits on 4 brass ball or bun feet with the original velvet lining on the base. Some minor repairs and losses, but this box is fully complete. This is ‘rare’ as many of these boxes have not survived in such condition! Included in the sale are 2 photos that were in the box (under the base tray). Interestingly, one of them is a view of downtown Nassau, New Providence (Bermuda) from the early 20C and stamped on the rear. What a ‘journey’ this piece has made! Made in India … travelled to Bermuda, probably via Britain … back to Ireland (where we bought it) …. then to Texas! These boxes were made by superb Indian craftsmen, specifically for sale to the ruling British elite. These types of boxes, carved padouk and sandalwood, (whilst beautiful and superbly crafted) were of a lesser quality, than the more profusely and intricately mosaic inlay, tortoiseshell and ivory boxes, made for the British ‘Upper Classes’ in the areas of Bombay and Vizagapatam. These type of boxes were much more affordable back in 1880 (and indeed today) and would probably have been bought by mid-level diplomats, civil servants or visitors. Sewing boxes (in general), were in EVERY Victorian home in Britain in the 19th Century and like other boxes etc were ‘status symbols’ of your place in society! The more ornate the box, the more ‘Upper Class’ you were! Of it’s type, this one, is one of the very higher quality one’s, than the norm! SADELI MOSAIC: “Anglo Indian boxes were made in India for the English residents from the early part of the 18th century. They were brought back or sent back to England usually by the people who had commissioned them. From the beginning of the nineteenth century they were imported more commercially, although not in any significant numbers until the middle decades. They were very highly valued, especially the early ones, to the extent that the designs were copied on late 19th and early 20th century tins. The ancient art of Sadeli Mosaic is said to have been introduced from Shiraz in Persia via Sind to Bombay, a long time before the Anglo Indian boxes were made. It was a technique, which required a high degree of skill and patience. It was executed very lavishly, in that the frequent cuts wasted a great amount of the precious materials used. The workmanship was however more than commensurable to the value of the materials. Ivory, silver, pewter (or other metals), wood and horn were cut into faceted rods which were bound together to form geometric patterns. When the glue has set, the rods were sliced in transverse sections. This gave the maker a number of angled circular pieces in the original pattern. Several variations of patterns could be achieved by combining the materials in different ways. The ivory was sometimes dyed green to give an extra color. The mosaic pieces in a combination of patterns, often separated by ivory, ebony, horn or silver stringing were used to veneer sandalwood boxes. In the early boxes, which date from the turn of the 18th to the 19th century, there are large panels of mosaic covering tops and sides of boxes. It took incredible skill to cover such large areas without any shakes or wavering of the pattern. The corners and joins on these boxes are impeccably matched. The makers (reputed to be Persian) of Sadeli mosaic made in the first two decades of the 19th century displayed a total understanding of the qualities of the different materials they used. They combined substances, which can expand and contract according to atmospheric conditions with others, which are hard and unyielding. The result was a sharp definition of the lines and patterns, which made up the whole design. On the early boxes the designs look deceptively simple. The fact is, they emerged from a culture, which had mastered geometry and understood how to generate a pattern from a set number of points. The patterns are so harmoniously combined that their incredible complexity is not immediately apparent. The earliest Sadeli boxes...