Pair of Crisply and Finely Carved Anglo Indian Coquilla Nut and Ivory Table Candlesticks

Period: 1700-1900

Origin: Anglo Indian

Medium: Coquilla Nut and Ivory

Literature: Murshidabad was the Nawabi capital of Bengal and a celebrated centre of ivory carving that specialised in small-scale articles such as combs, fly whisk handles, chessmen, caskets and candlesticks. The workshops were known for their ‘inimitable ivory work’, which was sold to European travellers. The decoration employed on these objects was inspired by imported European examples or by designs supplied by locally based European tradesmen. Western style furniture was also made by them in small quantities and probably only on a commission basis and these candlesticks typical of the Murshidabad workshops delicately carved decoration, may have stood on an ivory ‘teapoy’, whose form was directly taken from a European candlestand.