Indian Merchants Box From Shekhawati - 19th Century Origin - Kizilayak Painted in rich mineral pigments

Painted in rich mineral pigments against a deep black ground

Two designs are available — one featuring flowing foliage motifs and the other with finely incised radiating lines

It is then glazed and high-fired to produce the luminous white porcelain body and rich sapphire-blue decoration for which Jingdezhen has been celebrated for over a thousand years

This wonderfully characterful piece depicts a peacock whose wings open outwards to reveal the interior

It still shows the remains of its original blue paint

Indian Merchants Box From Shekhawati - 19th Century Origin - Kizilayak Painted in rich mineral pigmentsThis exquisitely chip carved antique Indian box is from Northern Rajasthan, Shekhawati area. It is made from roheda wood, bound with iron and dates to the 19th century. These boxes were used in the old days by merchants and traders in the bazaars for storing their cash and ledgers. They were also used by Indian families for the dowry of their daughters, as a trousseau. This style of box is often decorated with chip carving that is almost identical to