A rosewood sewing table Bombay, circa 1850

A rosewood sewing table Bombay, circa 1850 of rectangular form, carved and decorated with floral and foliate motifs in relief, the pierced openwork drawer lined with a green fabric, the two legs supported by twin bow feet and a connecting stretcher 77 x 45 x 68 cm. Footnotes: Provenance Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, 16 October 2023, lot 365. Private UK collection. Please note that this item is stored in our warehouse. The ladies' sewing table or work table was a popular furniture form among wealthy British women in the Regency and Victorian periods, and featured a writing or work surface in combination with a secured pouch or sturdy cloth-lined drawer to store needlework and sewing supplies. For an example of a Victorian sewing table of a similar form, see Bonhams, The Contents of The Old Rectory, Chilton Foliat, 6 December 2022, lot 113. This work table belongs to a category of 19th century furniture generally known as 'Bombay blackwood'. The industry predominantly comprised migrant workers from Gujarat employed by Parsi entrepreneurs in Bombay, who created wood furniture based on Victorian prototypes with profusely carved and pierced decoration in the style of Ahmedabad façade architecture. Up to the mid-1850s this decoration consisted primarily of floral and foliate motifs. For a discussion on this group, see Amin Jaffer, Furniture from British India and Ceylon, London: V&A Publications, 2001, pp.330-359. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: W Y W Lot is located in the Bonhams Warehouse and will only be available for collection from this location. Y Subject to CITES regulations when exporting items outside of the UK, see clause 13. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing