Three tiers of stylised animals on each side surrounded by a floral border, the stand elaborately carved with more floral motifs

Provenance: Private Collection, England.

A number of decorative chests of this type, in various sizes, were made in Bareilly, former capital of Rohilkhand, during the nineteenth century. Their inspiration came from lacquered furniture from the far east which found a ready market in British India and Britain itself. Unlike most, which have chinoiserie decoration, the design of this chest, with its more Indian flavour, is much rarer. There is less variation in the design of the stands, with most examples adhering to Egyptianising regency form with splayed legs, carved and painted with a blend of Indian and European leaf motifs.