19th Century Anglo-Indian Large Sadeli Inlay Mosaic Sandlewood Sewing Box - #251

Description

19th Century Anglo-Indian Large Sadeli Inlay Sandlewood Sewing Box - #251
Signed and interpreted date as 19 of March 1857 or 1859
6.25 x 17 x 11.5 inches
Handles missing
Sandlewood - Ivory ? - Bombay Sadeli Mosaic
There are two extra pieces:  Empty frame would have fitted inside the lid and had a very thin light weight mirror.  The other piece is a velvet writing slope.  Both pieces are shown in a photo.
Needs repairs - please look over the photos carefully - selling AS IS - no returns
Nails pulled away - some of the mosaic missing - wood missing - inside boxes need repairs
Sadeli-work is a form of inlay
made by binding together strips of ivory, ebony, stag's horn, sandalwood and white metal, arranging them in geometrical patterns, then thinly slicing across the bundles.
The thin sheets were applied to the surfaces of small objects, mostly wooden boxes.
The ancient art of Sadeli Mosaic is said to have
been introduced from Shiraz in Persia via Sind to Bombay,
a long time before the Anglo Indian boxes were made. It was a technique, which required a high degree of skill and patience.
This purchase supports Herilooms for Hospice:
Heirlooms for Hospice is a donation based, upscale resale store that supports the local non-profit HopeWest on the Western Slope of Colorado. Our mission: Through creativity, volunteerism and philanthropy we profoundly change the experiences of aging, illness and grief— one family at a time.