ARTS OF INDIA

~90
AN INDO-PORTUGUESE IVORY
AND BONE-INLAID CABINET ON STAND
(CONTADOR)
PROBABLY GOA, INDIA, 17TH/EARLY 18TH
CENTURY
The chest of rectangular form with four rows of
three drawers, the stand with four large drawers, the
square section legs deeply carved with European
ecclesiastical fgures with bulging eyes and marked
traits amidst volutes and scrolls, the surfaces and
drawer fronts all covered with stellar motifs within
roundels forming a latticed design, with openwork
copper-alloy mounts
58 x 43º x 23¡in. (147.3 x 109.8 x 59.4cm.)
£25,000-35,000 $36,000-50,000
€32,000-44,000
The pattern of intersecting circles that covers the
surfaces is closely comparable to a similar cabinet in
the Victoria and Albert Museum (Amin Jafer, Luxury
Goods from India, London, 2002, no. 22, pp. 58-9,
inv.777-1865). It is a commonly reproduced motif and
can also be found on a small cabinet in Lisbon (Jorge
Flores da Nuno Vassallo e Silva (eds.), Goa and the
Great Mughal (exhibition catalogue), Lisbon, 2004,
p.111, cat.117). Jafer writes of the pattern that it is also
found on articles commissioned by the Portuguese
in other parts of Asia - for instance on the namban
lacquer of Japan (Jafer, op. cit., p. 58). A closely
related cabinet sold at Sotheby’s London, 6 April 2011,
lot 364, another sold at Christie’s, London, 10 June
2015, lot 19.
~91
AN IVORY-INLAID WOOD CABINET
GUJARAT OR SINDH, NORTH WEST INDIA, LATE
16TH/EARLY 17TH CENTURY
Of rectangular form, each side inlaid with fne cusped
cartouches and medallions within lobed quatrefoils, the
hinged fall-front panel opening to reveal six drawers,
the inlaid decoration consisting of micromosaic stellar
motifs within radiating roundels, the fall-front fap
inlaid with an elegant foral lattice, each corner with
further similar micromosaic patterns, the functioning
lock worked as two adorsed peacocks, a cross above,
with key
12 x 19 x 13in. (30.5 x 48.3 x 33cm.)
£7,000-10,000 $10,000-14,000
€8,800-12,000
A closely related fall-front cabinet with exquisitely
simple exterior decoration and lavishly inlaid interior is
published in Global India, Francesca Galloway, 2009,
cat. 10. The type of micromosaic decoration, the
distribution of the drawers and the fnely cut out brass
lock-plates are very similar. That example is attributed
to Gujarat or Sindh and is dated to the late 16th or
early 17th century. The present piece is slightly larger
however. For further comparables see also Amin
Jafer, Luxury Goods from India, The Art of the Indian
Cabinet-Maker, London, 2002, cat. 3, 4, 7 and 8.
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