A large carved ebony panel, Batavia or Ceylon for the Dutch market, 1680-1720, 58 x 94cm. This fine quality, ebony panel, deeply carved in half relief, depicts a variety of flowers including tulips and sunflowers attached to tendrils which swirl...

A large carved ebony panel, Batavia or Ceylon for the Dutch market, 1680-1720, 58 x 94cm. This fine quality, ebony panel, deeply carved in half relief, depicts a variety of flowers including tulips and sunflowers attached to tendrils which swirl around a large, central, stylized flower. This panel originally formed the top of a large cabinet. The floral style of decoration was influenced by the design motifs in contemporary Indian chintz palampores, made for both the Dutch and the English markets. In the 17th century, both the English and the Dutch East India Companies had unprecedented success in the trade of textiles from India and furniture made in Indonesia and India for the European market. Ebony was one of the most prized and sought after of the exotic woods. Its popularity however was short-lived. By the mid 18th century its production had virtually ceased, the fashion having now changed to teak, amboyna and Indian blackwood. Ebony furniture was made in both Batavia (Dutch Indonesia), South India and Ceylon and it is sometimes difficult to tell the difference, particularly since Indian and Ceylonese craftsmen worked in Indonesia. Broadly speaking, Ceylonese and Indian manufacture is distinguished by filigree like carving and ivory inlay whereas the carving on Indonesian ebony furniture is perhaps more vigorous and forceful. These observations are based on furniture now in Dutch and English collections