Title
Ivory Bible box
Year/Period
Second half of the 18th century
Region
Sri Lanka or Batavia
Object Type
Dimension
Object size: 19.0 x 13.0 x 5.0 cm
Accession No.
2016-00128
Collection of
This is a rare ivory bible box, with silver-gilt mounts. The bible box is in the shape of a book with a ribbed spine and shaped sides. The hinged lid is carved with a central motif and leaves with pierced and engraved brass mounts and spirally fluted studs. Dutch Colonial Bible boxes were usually made of calamander wood with silver mounts, but were also made out of ivory, tortoiseshell and silver. They were used to hold a small personal bible, and were sometimes carried in the retinue of Dutch ladies who resided in south India, Sri Lanka or Southeast Asia.
