Title
Bible Box
Year/Period
18th century
Region
Sri Lanka or Batavia
Object Type
Material
Dimension
10.2 x 5.9 x 2.0 cm
Accession No.
2017-00042
Collection of
Bible boxes were made by local artisans for wives of the Dutch colonial officials living in Sri Lanka or Batavia. Made of calamander, ivory, tortoise shell and silver these boxes would have traditionally held a small personal bible. This is a rare Dutch colonial bible box made in Sri Lanka for the colonial market. It is conventional in design with a hinged lid and is thicker at the front than at the back to emulate a leather-bound book. It has chased and engraved silver mounts along the peripheries and the spine, and the box itself is made of tortoise shell. The hinged lid is kept closed by two silver clasps, engraved with floral motifs, while the remaining silver mounts are decorated with foliate arabesques.
