FANTASTIC QUALITY ANGLO-INDIAN SADELI INLAID TABLE BOX

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

FANTASTIC QUALITY ANGLO-INDIAN SADELI INLAID TABLE BOX:
$205.15

FANTASTIC QUALITY ANGLO-INDIAN SADELI INLAID TABLE BOX c.1900This is an absolutely stunning top quality example of traditional Sadeli ware. Please see the photographs which form an integral part of the description.The box, apart from being in very good condition, has decoration on the internal surfaces as well as the outside of the box which is a sign of quality. The external surfaces have acquired a deeper colour/patina whereas the interior - having rarely been open to the light - has maintained its bright, vibrant original colouring. \'Please see the photos which hardly do justice to this beautiful box.A very attractive and desirable addition to any collection or simply as a thoughtful gift...Dimensions: 13cm x 9.5cm x 3.8cm
ABOUT SADELI WARE
The decorative technique of Sadeli is a type of micro mosaic with repeating geometric patterns. It has had a long history in India and the Middle East with early examples dating back to the 16th century. It is a highly skilled craft and became very popular in 19th century Britain as many boxes, card cases and chess boards were imported from India. Bombay became a centre of making and these imported wares became known as Bombay boxes.Whilst the technique may at first seem exquisitely complex, the theory is relatively simple. A stick is made up of long thin rods of many materials which are then cut transversally to form a repeat pattern. This is essentially the same as a stick of Brighton rock where the letters are embedded throughout the whole stick.The first step in creating Sadeli is preparing the thin rods by scraping lengths of iv ry, bone or wood into the desired shape. Most often the rods are triangular in section, from which a diverse variety of geometric patterns can be made up. Woods used include ebony (Diospyros spp.) and rosewood (Guibourtia demeusei) with green stained bone and iv ry. If tin or pewter were used they would have been extruded into circular or triangular rods, then once a supply of rods had been produced the craftsman could build up the stick, joining the lengths with animal glue.When the packet was completed it could then be sliced up with a fine saw and the pieces arranged and glued down on to the box. Any slight variations in surface height would be levelled by scraping.