Casket

second half 16th century

Not on view

This casket is a creation of artists immersed in the highly charged imaginary of southern India and Sri Lanka. One of a small corpus of ivory masterpieces produced in Sri Lanka in the second half of the sixteenth century, it is directly modelled on late medieval European strong boxes. The four elevations are constructed of single panels of ivory, while the lid and bottom are formed of two panels, half-lap joined. The visible surfaces are finely carved in shallow relief in a riotous display of spiraling foliage and fantastic creatures, largely based on the Sinhalese heraldic emblem of a mythical lion (simha). This wild menagerie roam amid extravagant foliate roundels bursting with projecting leaves.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Casket
Date: second half 16th century
Culture: Sri Lanka, probably Kandy
Medium: Ivory, brass and silver
Dimensions: H. 3 1/8 in. (8 cm); W. 7 1/2 in. (19 cm); D. 4 5/16 in. (11 cm)
Classification: Ivories
Credit Line: Purchase, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund and funds from various donors, 2024
Object Number: 2024.482a–c
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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