A KASHMIRI LACQUERED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ TURBAN HOLDER WITH FLORAL AND PAISLEY MOTIFS
Kashmir, Northern India, late 19th century

Of octagonal shape, with a high domed lid and faceted body, painted in polychromes, gilt and lacquered, decorated with dense floral and foliate scrolls in red, green, blue, and black against a gold ground, featuring stylised paisley (boteh) motifs framed within an elaborate central cartouche, surrounded by leafy tendrils and blossoms, the sides adorned with repeating floral medallions framed by foliate vines, and the raised shoulder encircled by a narrow band of multicoloured rosettes and floral garlands, the interior painted in deep cobalt blue, and the underside plain except for two stickers, possibly marking ownership or retailers' initials.

20cm widest diam. and 18cm high

These octagonal lacquered lidded boxes—typically used to store turbans or ceremonial textiles—were made using layers of paper moulded and hardened with starch, then finished with meticulous hand-painted decoration and multiple layers of varnish. They represent the height of Kashmiri lacquer work, a craft refined under Mughal and later Dogra patronage. This form of painted papier-mâché, introduced from Persia, developed its own distinctly Kashmiri style by the 18th and 19th centuries. Another similar example, with figural instead of floral motifs, successfully sold in these Rooms, 20 June 2024, lot 154.