A large Dutch-colonial ebony money box with silver mounts
Batavia (Jakarta) or Sri Lanka, circa 1680
The box, which is overall carved in deep relief with dense scrolling flowers and vines, has at the bottom two money drawers and a top lid revealing an interior for documents and a compartment for pens, all with elaborate silver mounts.
H. 25.5 x W. 44.5 x D. 29 cm
Provenance:
Collection of descendants of a VOC official, the Netherlands
From about 1680, a new style of ebony carving in large floral shapes developed in Batavia, based on Dutch prints such as in the Florilega (1612) by E. Sweerts and the tulip plates in De Blomhof (1614) by Crispijn de Passe de Jonge. Carving in ebony was mostly done by (enslaved) Tamil woodcarvers who were moved to Batavia from the Coromandel Coast or Sri Lanka.
The box, which is overall carved in deep relief with dense scrolling flowers and vines, has at the bottom two money drawers and a top lid revealing an interior for documents and a compartment for pens, all with elaborate silver mounts.
H. 25.5 x W. 44.5 x D. 29 cm
Provenance:
Collection of descendants of a VOC official, the Netherlands
From about 1680, a new style of ebony carving in large floral shapes developed in Batavia, based on Dutch prints such as in the Florilega (1612) by E. Sweerts and the tulip plates in De Blomhof (1614) by Crispijn de Passe de Jonge. Carving in ebony was mostly done by (enslaved) Tamil woodcarvers who were moved to Batavia from the Coromandel Coast or Sri Lanka.
Part of the Indian Ocean and Indonesian Archipelago collections.
Related objects
A colonial tortoiseshell veneered casket with silver mounts
_Probably Portuguese colonial (Goa), or Spanish colonial (Manilla), 17th century_ _H. 18.5 x L. 25.2 x D. 12.1 cm_
A Balinese kris with gold and silver mounts decorated with ruby cabochons
_Bali, 18th century, the scabbard late 19th century_ _L. 60 cm_ Provenance: Private collection, Germany
A Mughal silver and ivory backscratcher
_India, 18th century_ _L. 57 cm_ Provenance: Phillipe Missilier, Paris