Title
Casket
Year/Period
late 16th or early 17th century
Region
Gujarat, India
Object Type
Material
Technique
Dimension
Object size: 10.0 x 15.8 x 12.0 cm
Accession No.
2015-00512
Collection of
The decoration of this casket is testimony to the specialized skills and materials of artists in western India who made works for local Islamic markets as well as for Europe. The wood casket is inlaid with an intricate pattern formed of mother-of-pearl pieces set into a resinous matrix. There are cartouches containing inscriptions in in Arabic (Nastaliq script) on all four sides.Finely cut mother-of-pearl was regarded as a wonder of nature in Renaissance Europe and the Islamic world. Mother-of-pearl is difficult to cut accurately. In this casket, the shades of pink, green, and silver have been carefully selected to create variety and colour gradation.
