Antiques, Curios, Collectables, Taxidermy, Silver, Gold, Stamps, Bronze
Lot 44:
Description
A fine late 19th-century Anglo-Indian or Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) rectangular decorative box. The piece is constructed from ebonised wood, likely ebony, and features a traditional sliding lid mechanism. The exterior is meticulously inset with panels of variegated porcupine quills arranged in vertical parallel bands, a decorative technique characteristic of the Matara district in Ceylon. The dark wood borders are embellished with numerous circular bone dot inlays. The interior of the box and the underside of the lid reveal the natural, unfinished grain of the wood. These boxes were highly popular as exotic souvenirs for British travellers and colonial officials during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Length: approximately 25.4 cm (10 inches).
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