A TURQUOISE-INLAID SILVER REPOUSSE BETEL NUT BOX AND COVER, BHUTAN, EARLY 19TH CENTURY
A TURQUOISE-INLAID SILVER REPOUSSE BETEL NUT BOX AND COVER, BHUTAN, EARLY 19TH CENTURY
Of circular form, finely decorated to the tiered cover with concentric bands of bajixiang, dragons, floral scroll, and lappets, all encircling a central turquoise inlay, and to the box with auspicious symbols, all amid leaf scrolling vines, the flat base incised with a double vajra encircled by overlapping petals. The box and cover connected by a hinge to one side, the other with two loop handles and a fitting that allow the box to be locked.
Provenance: From an Austrian private collection.
Condition: Good condition with minor wear, manufacturing irregularities, traces of use, few dents, small nicks, and light scratches.
Weight: 602 g
Dimensions: Diameter 17.4 cm
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related betel nut box, Tibet, 19th century, 15.3 cm diameter, in the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession number 1919.570.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's Paris, 12 December 2018, lot 186
Price: EUR 11,250 or approx. EUR 13,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An inlaid parcel-gilt silver box and cover, Bhutan, 19th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related circular form and decoration with similar repousse work, hinge and lock, and central turquoise inlay. Note the closely related size (17.5 cm).
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
A TURQUOISE-INLAID SILVER REPOUSSE BETEL NUT BOX AND COVER, BHUTAN, EARLY 19TH CENTURY
Of circular form, finely decorated to the tiered cover with concentric bands of bajixiang, dragons, floral scroll, and lappets, all encircling a central turquoise inlay, and to the box with auspicious symbols, all amid leaf scrolling vines, the flat base incised with a double vajra encircled by overlapping petals. The box and cover connected by a hinge to one side, the other with two loop handles and a fitting that allow the box to be locked.
Provenance: From an Austrian private collection.
Condition: Good condition with minor wear, manufacturing irregularities, traces of use, few dents, small nicks, and light scratches.
Weight: 602 g
Dimensions: Diameter 17.4 cm
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related betel nut box, Tibet, 19th century, 15.3 cm diameter, in the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession number 1919.570.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's Paris, 12 December 2018, lot 186
Price: EUR 11,250 or approx. EUR 13,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An inlaid parcel-gilt silver box and cover, Bhutan, 19th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related circular form and decoration with similar repousse work, hinge and lock, and central turquoise inlay. Note the closely related size (17.5 cm).
