Superb Dutch Colonial Tortoiseshell Bible Box with Silver Mounts

This is the finest 18th century tortoiseshell Dutch colonial Bible box that we have seen. The condition is very fine, the quality of the tortoiseshell is superb, and the silver mounts are unusually good. It is also relatively large. (Generally termed tortoiseshell, the shell was actually obtained from turtles.)

Such Dutch colonial bible boxes are quite rare and were used to hold a small personal bible. The wives of Dutch officials would walk in public in the Dutch settlements of south India, Sri Lanka and the East Indies followed by slaves or servants who held aloft umbrellas, carried betel boxes and perhaps a spittoon. Sometimes such a procession included a servant or slave who carried a bible box such as the example here.

This example follows the conventional form of being thicker at the front than at the back to emulate a leather-bound book, and having a hinged lid.

The ‘spine’ of the box is gadrooned which is repeated on the front and the sides with crenulations.

All corners are edged with pierced, solid silver fretwork decorated with scrolling vines, leaves and birds. The fine hinge strut terminals are similarly decorated.

The silver key plate is in flower form as are all the small silver plates used to hide the construction rivets.

Both sides of the box have plaques at the upper ends that are chased in high relief with scrolling flower decoration. These plaques are particularly fine in terms of the silversmithing.

A silver lock is present but no longer is there a key.

Surviving Dutch colonial bible boxes are relatively few. Veenendaal (1985, p. 86) illustrates two examples, one of which also is illustrated in Voskuil-Groenewegen (1998, p. 92). These have silver mounts but are made from wood.

Overall, this is a superb, museum-quality example. There is minor surface abrasion here and there to the tortoiseshell as can be expected for a box of this age but no cracks or losses.