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Camel Bone Oval Box - Large
$299.00
A beautiful lidded bowl or box suited to jewellery, keys and other odds and ends. Or simply perfect as a decorative item. Crafted from hand shaped panels of camel bone exquisitely shaped over wood, with a scalloped edge to the lid matched by a rim of scalloped decoration. The entire bowl has then been hand painted. This low oval bowl shape was once typically used to store tea or balls of tobacco or opium to stop them from drying out, hence the term "opium bowl".
Hand made in Rajasthan, India.
Measurements: diameter 24.5 cm, height 10 cm
Camel bone has been used in India from ancient times for making utility articles as well as decorative ones. It is the ultimate in recycling and eco-responsible craftsmanship as it allows every part of the noble camel to be used after death. The art of camel bone decoration reached its peak in Mogul times, but is now considered a dying art form. Award-winning master craftsman and art conservationist Zakir Hussain has embarked on a crusade to protect the art of camel bone carving and decoration from dying out by instigating a mentorship program in conjunction with the Indian government.
Hussain says, “ I have seen a number of crafts at the brink of death in Rajasthan, and I make a point to speak about it during every summit or conference I attend. We have created a number of camel bone artefacts... What we need is a place to exhibit and sell these handicraft forms which is easily accessible to the public, locals and tourists alike.”
