Mother-Of-Pearl Doors

• Accession Number:AKM705
• Place:Gujarat, India
• Dimensions:187 x 49.5 cm
• Date:1700s
• Materials and Technique:Wood, mother-of-pearl, metal fittings

The mother-of-pearl and wood combination of media as well as the form and design of this beautiful pair of doors indicate the native work of craftsmen from Gujarat, recognized in the sixteenth century as the centre of mother-of-pearl production. Smaller, portable objects also display a similar design composed as a puzzle of individual pierced pieces of mother-of-pearl. The doors may have once adorned a wealthy home or public structure, such as a temple or tomb. The chain suspended from the top of the right door suggests the door would have been situated in an interior, attaching to a hook within the doorframe to keep the door closed; a door with access to the exterior, on the other hand, would have received a stronger lock for greater security.