A 19th Century Sri Lankan carved ivory box for the European market.
This ivory box is of cylindrical form with a hinged lid all heavily and intricately carved with floral, animal, and classical scenes indicating it was assuredly destined to the European market. The lid has a scene of a lady in profile wearing a tiara and head ornaments. Her head, although centrally carved, sits freely amongst an asymmetric wreath consisting of a baroque style bow and an array of flowers. The body consists of four medallions encased within an upper and lower band of floral and vegetal decoration.
The first is of a lion and lioness, the second of a stag and doe, the third of an elephant and its keeper, the forth of a typical neoclassical image of a seated nymph playing the lyre with a winged cherub on her side. The whole body is footed by three carved scrolling legs.