Object Description
A Fine Mid-19th Century Anglo-Indian Side Cabinet or Cupboard of Indian Blackwood with Lion Feet, made in the Bombay Area c.1860
Provenance
A UK private collection
This fine side cabinet is profusely carved from Bombay blackwood, a form of rosewood, with a plain top with a beautifully-executed wavy gallery. The combination of this gallery and the highly unusual carved cresting to the front of the top, with its central jardiniere or vase and free-flowing floral ornament with stylised shell or anthemion finials to each side, creates a tray top which is an unusual form for a piece of this sort. The piece has an inverted breakfront form with outset columns, carved overall with highly naturalistic floral motifs. The doors also use these same motifs but with central vases from which the flowers issue, presumably a reference to the tree of life.
There are gadrooned mouldings to the frieze and a half round bobbin moulding to the apron, presumably inspired by European work by the likes of Gillows. The piece stands on three highly unusual lion monopediae feet. Although lion motifs, and indeed lion feet, are not uncommon on Anglo-Indian pieces, the precise form of these lions, standing rather than crouching, is extremely uncommon and interesting.
The interior has three slides.
Pieces of furniture from the Bombay Presidency of more common form can be seen in the V&A, such as a suite of furniture made for Mr and Mrs James Richard Naylor c.1870, the cabinet from the suite being illustrated and described here.
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O76424/cabinet-unknown/
This cabinet also has lion feet but of the more commonly-encountered sort and the more repetitive carving is also more typical of the majority of Anglo-Indian furniture than that on our piece. James Richard Naylor was a high ranking civil servant in Bombay and so that helps to contextualise the patrons for such pieces who were usually high ranking English officials and sometimes aristocrats or soldiers.