India, Gujarat
1570-1580
Teak; gold leaf; polychrome painting; tortoiseshell plates; ivory; gilt copper
This small, tortoiseshell plated box is polychrome painted, including on the reverse and inside its nine drawers.
It is a very rare piece that portrays the daily life of a Portuguese man and his wife in 16th century India. In different scenes, arranged over all the available surfaces of the box, the couple and their family are depicted in idyllic settings: in gardens, on outings or at leisure, in hunting activities or at meals, a moment described in detail on the top of the cabinet.