English: Panel from a box, wood, painted and lacquered

India, Deccan or Sindh; 1st half of 17th century H: 20; W: 31 cm Inventory number 56/1999 The lacquer technique, in which the underlying painted decoration is covered with a protective layer of liquid shellac, probably came from Iran to India as early as the beginning of the 16th century. Early Indian lacquer work is extremely rare, however, and it is often difficult to determine its place of manufacture.

This panel originally served as the lid of a box. It features a fairly realistic depiction of a group of travelers, or perhaps a hunting party, whose leading character is a princess in a canopied wagon drawn by oxen. Women are also the main motif on the three other sides of the box that are found today in other collections.