Circa 1725
Slope Desk - 12 x 43 x 34 cms
Stand - 70 x 42 x 34 cms
The earliest written references to inlay work from Vizagapatam appear in the
mid eighteenth century. Raw materials such as ivory were readily available
from Myanmar (Burma) & the rosewood came from India. Little is known about
the antecedents of the industry except that incising & highlighting designs
on ivory was widely practiced in the area of India which approximates to modern
day Orissa.
The treatment of the graceful tree of life motif on the lid relates to Coromandel
chintzes made under Dutch patronage. A wide intricate floral inlaid border
runs along the edges of the lid while a thin border runs around the base of
the desk.
The Slope Desk has a lockable area, the rectangular large cavity accessible
via the slope lid for stationary & documents. The George III mahogany
stand was made for the slope desk. It has a slide on the right side &
in front.
For a related example:
103 Portable Slope Desk. The Clive Collection at Powis Castle.
