A Highly Important Ivory-Inlaid Rosewood Dressing Table, India, Vizagapatam circa 1750

the rectangular finely figured rosewood top ornamented with a broad band of engraved ivory-inlaid small trailing branches and leaves issuing various large and small exotic flower heads, tied at each corner with ribbons, the square outer edge similarly inlaid with a running band of flat scrolled leaves with serrated edges entwined with smaller leaves and flower heads, above a long drawer in the frieze and an arched, shaped recessed kneehole fitted with five graduated drawers, the arched top one inlaid at the front with scrolling tendrils with small leaves and various blossoms, each conforming shaped drawer front with a broad banding similarly inlaid as the top within a figured rosewood rectangular panel with lozenge-shaped escutcheons and silvered rectangular cast handles with flat square and faceted back-plates; flanked at each side by four graduated drawers similarly mounted and inlaid, all within narrow frames with running bands of flat scrolled leaves with serrated edges entwined with smaller leaves and flower heads; the figured rosewood sides with similar broad bands of engraved ivory as the top, and fitted with large silvered metal carrying handles, and supported on rosewood bracket feet of molded ogee form.

Possibly with H. Adams-Acton, 37 Palace Gate, Kensington, W.8, 1954

Possibly with C. P. Stockbridge & Co. Ltd., Cambridge 1960

A Private Collection

See:

Francis Lenygon, Decoration in England From 1640-1760, London, 1914, p.17, fig. 13, 'The State Drawing Room, Wentworth Castle, Yorkshire' 

The Connoisseur, August 1954, p. XXII, trade advertisement, M. Adams-Acton

The Antique Collector, September 1960, trade advertisement, C. P. Stockbridge & Co. Ltd

Mildred Archer et al., Treasures From India The Clive Collection at Powis Castle, London 1987, no. 101, pp. 81-82, ill. p. 67

 Amin Jaffer, Furniture from British India and Ceylon, London, 2001, 'Southern India', 'Vizagapatam', pp. 172-221, fig. 73

Vizagapatam is situated on the northern stretches of the Coromandel Coast on the east coast of India between the Godava River and Nagapatam, and close to the large city of Madras to the south. Since the 17^th century it has served as a major port, and has historically been part of the major trading route between Europe and the Far East. Amin Jaffer notes that 'Vizagapatam possessed the ingredients necessary for the success of a center for furniture making', its fine harbor providing access to many fine timbers including teak, ebony and rosewood which were indigenous to the surrounding Northern Circars region. Other materials such as ivory from Pegu, padouk and sandalwood were also readily available to the local craftsmen. The area was an old established center for the manufacture of dyed cottons which had attracted European traders since the 17^th century. These included the Dutch who established a trading post at Bimlipatam to the north in 1628, and the English whose textile factory was founded a Vizagapatam in 1668. In 1768 the whole of the Circars region came under the control of the East India Company, which resulted in an increase in the population due to the expanding lucrative coastal trade.

Although it is evident from the survival of several pieces of ivory-inlaid furniture dating from the second quarter of the 18^th century, the first written evidence of its manufacture at Vizagapatam was made in 1756 by a Major John Corneille who noted that the area was known for the quality of its chintz which is 'esteemed for its brightness of its colours' and that 'the place is likewise remarkable for its inlay work, and justly, for they do it to the greatest perfection' (A. Jaffer, Furniture from British India and Ceylon, London, 2001, p. 172).

It is clear from the overall design and profile of this furniture that the native Indian craftsmen were strongly influenced by their European customers, being copied directly from existing imported English, Dutch or Portuguese pieces, or from designs obtained from contemporary furniture pattern books. Such a derivation is best seen in the suite of ivory-inlaid and veneered chairs, now in the British Royal Collection and originally commissioned by Alexander Wynch, Governor of Fort St. George; the design of these is clearly based on Chippendales's Director published in 1762.

The actual degree of control exerted by the English merchants is poorly documented, although Jaffer, op. cit., notes that the accounts of  Samuel Banks who died at Vizagapatam in 1754 'indicate that he traded in teak, sandalwood and ivory, and held substantial stocks of looking glasses no doubt intended for the manufacture of toilet glasses'. He also left a group of 'unfinished' inlaid boxes which probably indicate his involvement in their manufacture. Another merchant, John Compton, who was a contemporary of Banks, left 'half a dozen tea caddies and a total of seventeen "Escrutores inlaid with ivory" which were not fitted with mounts'. It is unclear as to whether or not the merchants had their own workshops or purchased pieces directly from Indian cabinet makers, but obviously that the form of these pieces would have attracted the wealthy European merchant class and members of the English military. As shown by the present desk, its English form is ornamented with finely engraved ivory inlay the designs of which owe their influence solely to Indian art. The scrolling tendrils and leaves embellished with exuberant blossoms are identical to the colorful designs found printed on the cotton chintz fabric also produced in the region (See: John Irwin and Katherine Brett, The Origins of Chintz, London, 1970, for a detailed analysis of the origins of these designs). In the late 1760s these patterns became more mannered reflecting the increasing influence of the neo-classical taste in England and on the Continent.  As noted below, its construction shows many of the characteristics of Indian workmanship of this period, in particular the lavish use of the indigenous woods, solid timber being used throughout, the shaped drawer fronts being carved from the solid.

Three other tables of this form and proportion appear to be recorded including two shown in a photograph dating from 1914 in The State Drawing Room, Wentworth Castle, Stainborough, Yorkshire, and an example which was almost certainly acquire by Robert Clive, Lord Clive of Plessey (1725-1724), 'Clive of India'. The present whereabouts of those formerly at Wentworh Castle is unknown, neither of them appearing in either the sale of part of the contents of the Castle at Christie's London in 1919, or in the sale on the premises in 1948, whereas the latter is now in the collection of The National Trust at Powis Castle, Montgomeryshire. The only apparent differences which can be ascertained between the three examples noted and the present table is that the others all have extended solid engraved ivory moldings around the top and around the base, whereas the present example has a 'caddy' top and no base molding; the handles also appear to be of a different design.

The example at Powis Castle is recorded at Clive's London house, 44 Berkeley Square in 1761, being described in the 1774 inventory as 'A Curious commode Chest of Composd Rosewood inlaid with Ivory and Silver mounted mark'd A6'. An account exists, submitted by the London cabinetmaker George Smith Bradshaw (1717-1812) and dated 1761, describes in detail repairs undertaken on the Clive desk which included 'Taking off a great deal of engraved Ivory stain'd & spoil'd from the Buroe Table, fixing in others & new working and cleaning the whole & polishing all the work taking off all the Silver handles & fixing on the new Time added...... 4. 18. 6.

4 new feet brackets pencil'd like all the work... 19. 6

Making & Carving new molds for the Silver smith to cast the different handles & Ornaments from.... 16.6

9 New brass locks& key.... 7. 6.

A new Set of Castors, Aligosant wood Ivory etc....17 6.

(See: Mildred Archer et al., Treasures from India The Clive Collection at Powis Castle, pp. 81-82)

Archer notes that ' Most surviving Vizagapatam pieces of this kind have feet of plain polished wood, probably added in Europe to replace flimsier originals - or the tables may have been supplied without feet'. It is therefore interesting to note that the present desk retains its original Indian feet which are of English design and have the same profile as those supplied by Bradshaw with 'pencil' work imitating engraved ivory.

Tables of this form were designed to support free standing toilet mirrors, the Clive example still retaining its companion mirror which was described in the 1774 inventory as 'A real Rosewood Dressing Glass inlaid with Ivory and Silver mounted'.

A number of similar smaller tables decorated in this manner are recorded, although their design does not include the unusual arched kneehole and shaped drawers of the present example and those noted above. These include one formerly in the Collection Mr. and Mrs. Henry Cotton, sold Sotheby's, London, November 14, 1975, lot 68, and another from the Collection of Lily & Edmond J. Safra, sold Sotheby's, New York, November 3, 2003, lot 144. In both of these examples the drawers within the kneehole were designed to slide forward. Another example of this smaller model, probably dating from the 1740s and now at Englefield House, Berkshire, was originally owned by William Benyon, Governor of Fort St. George from 1734-1744, and another was sold by Sotheby's, London June 6, 2006, lot 331, both of these having somewhat different ivory inlay.

Construction

The dressing table is conceived in solid rosewood of Indian origin with sandalwood used as the secondary wood including the back-boards, the base, the interior blocks to the feet, the dust boards and part of the interior partitions. Much of the construction is fastened by wooden pegs including the construction of the original feet, and there are some hand made iron nails fastening the runners applied to the interior of the kneehole to support the drawers. The drawers have sandalwood linings with dove-tails used in their construction. The drawer fronts themselves are in solid rosewood, the curved form of those within the central knee-hole being carved from one solid piece. The exterior color is a faded honey color with a fine old patination, the interior of the drawer fronts and other rosewood used on the interiors retains its original dark color with strong black figuring with some dark purple tones. Overall the ivory inlay retains its black-lac inlaid engraving with very little loss of definition. The table retains the original locks which have silvered brass plates and the original handles other than the circular ones on the central drawer and the two on the upper drawers within the kneehole which appear to have originally been drop rings.