19th Century Sinhalese Porcupine Quill Boxes. Anglo-Indian, ca. 1840.  These boxes came together from the Topliff family of Massachusetts, the slide lid example having written notations on the bottom in ink; “Sent to the Topliff Family by Russell Strugess (Sturgis), Esq. with whom Samuel Topliff traveled in Europe in (on?) 1826 – 27”. The Topliff family member who wrote the inscription got the dates and the spelling of Russel’s last name wrong, but the travels of Topliff and Sturgis are well documented. Samuel wrote an account of their trip abroad (1828-29 Topliff’s Travels, letters from abroad…) which was later published, a copy resides in the Boston Athenaeum. Russell kept a diary of his travels abroad all his life, the diaries are said to have been published by his son, but I cannot find them online. Well documented, in Topliff’s papers, is the fact that Russell sent Samuel things from abroad for the rest of Samuel’s life (d. 1864).

The British were established in India in the mid 18th century and brought with them cabinet makers from Europe. It probably took too much time and money to have furnishings shipped from England! Ebony, quills and bone, along with other so-called exotic woods were incorporated into the manufacture of household items. European craftsman imposed their designs on Indian artisans. Eventually these items made for the British subjects in India became export trade goods, which is why these are referred to as “Anglo-Indian”.

Russell Sturgis, Esq was engaged in the China Trade and probably sent the boxes to the Topliff family in the second half of the 19th century.

Both boxes are made with hardwood structures held together with hardwood tenons and overlayed with ebony, quill and bone. The interior of the slide lid box is stained to look like ebony and the interior of the lidded box is dyed to look like red Saunderswood. Both are missing bone dots. The upper hasp is missing from the lock on the lidded example.

Lidded box: 8 ½ in. wide, 6 ¼ in deep, 3 3/8th inches tall. Slide lid box: 7 7/8th inches long, 4 inches wide, 1 3/4th inches tall. Ca. 1850.