A CARVED WOODEN BOX Possibly Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal, Eastern India, first half 19th century

A CARVED WOODEN BOX
Possibly Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal, Eastern India, first half 19th century
Of rectangular shape, resting on a flat plain base, the lid and sides finely carved with concentric bands of floral and vegetal sprays, the centre of the lid with Chinese-inspired geometric fretwork surrounding a strip of floral tendrils and a mother-of-pearl-inlaid roundel, the interior of the lid carved with a nasta'liq calligraphic inscription divided in two sections, dedicated to the Nawab Khan (John) Peach Macwhirter Sahib Bahadur, 40cm x 28cm x 14cm.
John Peach Macwhirter was born in Calcutta in 1820. After a brief period in England, he returned to India in 1841 and was soon appointed deputy governor of Calcutta. In 1846, he married Anne Harriet Clarkson in Simla and by 1848, he became the deputy collector in Moradabad. He sadly lost his life in the turmoils following the Mutiny, on 11th May 1857.
40cm x 28cm x 14cm
Sold for £750
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