box (containers); key (locks & enclosures); chopsticks (food service)

Carved sandalwood box with a hinged lid. The box is carved on the upper surface with a design of three figures beneath arches with vegetal scrolling above and similar vegetal scrolls framing the image. The central figure resembles Visnu in terms of the headdress and jewellery but bears attributes normally associated with Brahma and Siva. On the left is Hanuman; the figure on the right carries a fly whisk and may be an attendant. Hinge on one side; closing mechanism opposite. Iron alloy key.

probably made for sale to foreigners, given the strange iconography

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
846
PLACE
COLLECTION
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
sandalwood; iron
CATEGORY
Anthropology: Ethnography
SHAREABLE LINK

Continue exploring anthropology

Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database sometimes uses language taken from historical documents to help research, which may now appear outdated and even offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

If you have any further information about objects in our collections or can suggest corrections to our information, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk