AN IMPORTANT INDONESIAN IVORY SIRIH OR JEWELRY BOX WITH GOLD MOUNTS

 

Sri Lanka or Jakarta (Batavia), late 18th century, apparently unmarked

 

The ivory plain, with nice patina, with elaborate gold mounts to each corner, and delicately designed lock,  the lid with applied gold mounts and monogram CM.

 

L. 16.2 x W. 10.3 x H. 5.7 cm

 

Note:

The box could have served as a sirih box or, more likely, as a jewellery box. Only one example of an ivory sirih box with gold fittings is known today, although evidence such as probate inventories shows that such boxes were not particularly rare in the 18th century (Jan Veenendaal, Asian Art and the Dutch Taste, 2014, image 187). Unfortunately, it is not known whose initials CM stand for.