Large Indo-Portuguese portable cabinet - Lot 203

Large Indo-Portuguese portable cabinet Wood and ivory marquetry with engraved and inlaid black paste decoration India, 17th century, Mughal period 30 x 46.8 x 34.5 cm Weight: 11.7 kg A remarkable ivory-inlaid decoration adorns this large portable cabinet, forming wide friezes of floral scrolls, framed by friezes of micro-damiers and fine ivory fillets. The delicate ivory leaf and flower motifs are finely engraved and inlaid with black paste, giving them a grisaille relief effect. The corners of the cabinet are also adorned with ivory fragments, and there are elegant chevron motifs on the edges. Opening the flap through the central lock reveals a top decorated with three large bouquets alternating with florets and small cypresses, and eight internal drawers whose fronts are adorned with engraved ivory plaques with floral decoration, framed by friezes of florets and fine checkerboards. A cabinet with similar decoration, dating from the 17th century, is published in N. Vassallo e Silva & J. Flores, Goa and the Great Mughal, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, 2004, p. 84, cat. 108. CITES certificate issued on 27/11/2023