{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O16031"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O16031/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM8398/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM8398/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AM8398","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AT0478","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9043","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9035","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O16031/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O16031","accessionNumber":"1075-1882","objectType":"Armchair","titles":[{"title":"Armchair","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"This chair, its pair and the accompanying table are of solid ivory. They were made in Murshidabad, the nawabi capital of Bengal and a famous centre of ivory-carving.  Furniture makers there made small quantities of western-style pieces, possibly only as commissions.  Mani Begum of Murshidabad gave these pieces as part of a special gift to Warren Hastings, the first British Governor-General of India.  Their western forms and exotic working reflect the blend of tastes at Indian courts at this time. \r\nHastings kept his ivory furniture at Daylesford, his newly built country seat in Worcestershire (now Gloucestershire).  Reverend F.E. Witts visited the house in 1827 and noted that the drawing-room was 'remarkable for its suite of ivory chairs and sofas'.","physicalDescription":"Chair, solid ivory, carved, pierced and partly gilded, with a circular cane seat.  The chair is decorated with carved foliate-like motifs and has five legs, the front three of which have clawed feet.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Ivory","id":"AAT11857"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Ivory, carved, pierced and partly gilded, with a caned seat","categories":[{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2006AM8398","2006AT0478","2006AM9043","2006AM9035"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES342727"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES404295"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Chair","id":""}],[{"text":"Chair","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Murshidabad","id":"x32035"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1785","earliest":"1780-01-01","latest":"1789-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by John Jones","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"92.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"49","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"seat","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"71.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"approx.","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This chair is traditionally (and erroneously) associated with Tipu Sultan.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Carved ivory chair, solid ivory, carved and pierced and partly gilt, Murshidabad, ca. 1785.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Skelton, Robert, et al, <i>The Indian Heritage. Court life and Arts under Mughal Rule</i> London: The Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982","id":"AUTH352798"},"details":"cat.568, p. 168, Veronica Murphy","free":"Guy, J., and Swallow, D., (eds). ‘Arts of India: 1550-1900’. London : Victoria and Albert Museum, 1990. ISBN 1851770224.p.202-203, pl.176."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Das, N. and Llewellyn-Jones, R. (eds.). Murshidabad: Forgotten Capital of Bengal, ISBN 978-81-921106-9-1. Marg, Mumbai, 2013. ISBN 978-81-921106-9-1.","id":"AUTH329579"},"details":"p.116, pl. 15","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Luxury goods from India : the art of the Indian cabinet maker / Amin Jaffer. London: V&A Publications, 2002 Number: 1851773819","id":"AUTH332756"},"details":"pp.82-83","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"The art of India and Pakistan, a commemorative catalogue of the exhibition held at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1947-8. Edited by Sir Leigh Ashton. London: Faber and Faber, [1950]","id":"AUTH343744"},"details":"p. 237, cat. no. 1281","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"foliation (pattern)","id":"AAT165104"},{"text":"claw","id":"AAT40615"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["1075-1882","1075A-1882"],"accessionNumberNum":"1075","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1882,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-20","recordCreationDate":"1999-12-15","availableToBook":false}}