This is a rare pair of Indian hardwood painted doors, clad in mother-of-pearl and secured with gilt-metal pins and rosettes. On each narrow door, there is a gilt-bronze ring handle. The surface of the doors is entirely decorated witha mother-of-pearl geometric design and inset with mother-of-pearl flowers overlaid on top of painted mica. These doors are made in the same Gujarati tradition as mother-of-pearl decorated objects made for the export market (mainly to Portugal) during the 16th and 17th centuries. During this period, mother-of-pearl Kunstkammer works were highly sought after by European collectors. In terms of composition and technique, these doors share the same decorative characteristics as the luxury caskets, powder horns, rifles and daggers produced in Gujarat.
