Pen Box with Bathing and Reclining European Women 1853 - 1854

Curator: This is a pen box, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums, decorated with bathing and reclining European women. It was crafted by Najaf `Ali. Editor: It feels delicate, almost ivory-like in its coloration. What material was used to create it, and what does its decoration suggest about its cultural context? Curator: The precise materials are undetermined but likely include lacquer. The European subjects clearly point to a cultural exchange or fascination. Artisans were encountering new aesthetics and tastes. Editor: A commodity object displaying images of leisure. I wonder about the conditions under which it was produced. It's such an intimate object meant for daily use. Curator: Indeed, a beautiful reminder that art and craft were always intertwined with global exchanges and artistic dialogues. Editor: It's fascinating to consider this pen box as both an art object and evidence of early globalization.