box, needlework
Object
Accession Number
2008.005.025a-qDescription
a. One Anglo-Indian needlework box of carved sandalwood and mosaic marquetry with a two-tiered pagoda-style top. The sandalwood carving is in a traditional Indian animal and floral pattern. The sides and top of the box are bordered in marquetry set in ivory. The marquetry is in thin strips of ivory, ebony and silver glued together to form a geometric pattern. The interior tray (b) has six compartments with lids (c-h) of carved wood, each bordered in the same marquetry set in ivory. It also has a removable pincushion (i) with purple velvet and seven fitted cotton-thread barrels made of ivory (j-p), also with inlaid marquetry tops. The barrels unwind at the bottom. There is also an ivory thimble (q). The inside of the lid is lined with purple velvet, and beneath the tray is a shallow storage space also lined with purple velvet. The box sits on four brass claw feet and on either side of the box are brass handles. Small portions of the marquetry are missing from the top and the front. There is a loose brass key that does lock the box.Narrative
This sewing box is described as being "Anglo-Indian" because it was made in India for British people living there during the so-called British Raj, also known as Crown Rule (1858-1947) and also for export to Britain, Europe, and North America.This is a superb example, showing a high degree of artistic and technical mastery. It is precisely the sort of box that a western woman of the Victorian period would want to store her sewing accessories in.
