Quatrefoil box

Object Details

• School/Tradition

  Mughal school

• Description

  This quatrefoil box is decorated with extremely fine enamel designs in champleve of flowers and birds. Each flower has been carefully drawn so as to emphasize the rounded surface of the box, and no two are indentical. The box's cover is made up of two parts: the lid proper and a knob in the shape of a flower bud attached to the lid by prongs. The base of the box which is attached to its sides by solder is also enamelled and consists of four birds perched on tendrils that radiate from a central bud. Fine lines have been engraved in the gold beneath the transparnet enamel creating an irredescent effect most noticeable in the areas colored in green.

• Provenance

  To 1930s

  Imre Schwaiger, London, to 1930s [1]

  From 1983 to 1986

  Terence McInerney Fine Arts Ltd., New York City, from 1983 [2]

  From 1986

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Terence McInerney Fine Arts Ltd. in 1986

  Notes:

  [1] Terence McInerney acquired this object from a family that was connected to Imre Schwaiger through business as well as marriage. A member of this family acquired the object from Imre Schwaiger in London in the 1930s. It was the son of this man who sold the object to McInerney in 1983 (see Curatorial Note 6 in object record).

  [2] See note 1.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Body Image (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Encompassing the Globe: Portugal and the World in the 16th and 17th Centuries (June 24 to September 16, 2007)

  East of Eden: Gardens in Asian Art (February 24 to May 13, 2007)

  Arts of the Indian Subcontinent and the Himalayas (October 16, 2004 to January 3, 2016)

  South and South East Asian Art (May 9, 1993 to February 7, 2000)

  Islamic Art at Victoria and Albert Museum (1985-1986)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Imre Schwaiger (1868-1940)

  Terence McInerney Fine Arts, Ltd. (active 1990-2013)

• Origin

  Northern India

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Container

• On View

  Freer Gallery 01: Body Image: Arts of the Indian Subcontinent

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1650s, 1640s

• Name

  Schwaiger, Imre, McInerney, Terence

• Place

  India

• Topic

  South Asian and Himalayan Art, Reign of Shah Jahan (1628 - 1658), Art, Animals, Champlevé, Mughal dynasty (1526 - 1858), Birds, Enamel and enameling, Flowers, Engraving (incising), Metal-work

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Containers

• On View

  Yes