Box

Late 18th – early 19th century Origin: Kashmir Material: Papier-mâché, hand-painted and lacquered Design: Miniature Kashmir's papier-mâché tradition has been celebrated for centuries for its refined craftsmanship and richly painted surfaces. While floral decoration remained the most common style, boxes featuring courtly portraits such as this reflect the influence of Persian manuscript painting and Mughal artistic taste. Small domestic boxes of this kind were prized household objects, combining practical utility with artistic refinement. This box is an elegant example of Kashmir's renowned naqāshī tradition, in which moulded papier-mâché objects were meticulously painted using natural pigments and finished with successive layers of polished lacquer. Such boxes were commonly used for storing jewellery, precious keepsakes, prayer beads, or other small personal belongings. Private collection: Trām and Beyond

Not for Sale