Side Chair   Ebony, ivory and cane Cormandel Coast - India Circa 1650-80 Height: 98cm Width: 48cm Depth: 45cm   With the exception of the twist-turned components, the chair is decorated with low-relief carving on a hammered background. The legs and rails feature a double spiral twist. This type of twist is often found in combination with low–relief carving and a hammered background.   According to Veenendaal, the carvings on these chairs point to the Coromandel Coast. Rumphius [1628-1702] and Valentijn [1666-1727] reported the presence along that coast of various furniture-making centres where this kind of carving was practised. The motifs in the wood carving are derived from Hindu mythology as depicted in Medieval Temples of South East India. Most of them are drawn from the plant or animal world. A distinguishing feature of this type of carving is the symmetry of the opposing figures and the comprehensive background decoration. The two finials represent lions holding shields and these are brilliantly executed.   Literature: J. Veenendaal, "Furniture in Batavia", in T. Eliens (ed.), Domestic interiors at the Cape and in Batavia 1602–1795, Zwolle, 2001; Amin Jaffer, "Furniture from British India and Ceylon" V & A Publications 2001.