Jade terrapin from Allahabad
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Jade Terrapin from Allahabad
)| Jade terrapin | |
|---|---|
_(BM).JPG) On display at the British Museum | |
| Material | Carved jade |
| Size | 20 cm high, 48.5 cm long and 32 cm wide |
| Weight | 41 kg |
| Created | 17th century AD |
| Present location | British Museum, London |
| Registration | ME OA 1830,612.1 |
The Jade terrapin from Allahabad is a large sculpture of a
Allahabad to England
in the early 19th century.
Description
This massive object of precious stone was carved from one large piece of jade in the 17th century for the court of the Mughal Emperor
Kachuga dhongoka
species of turtle. Jahangir established a royal court at Allahabad between 1605 and 1627. The terrapin was probably made during this period as a decorative ornament for one of the landscaped pools in the palace gardens.
Discovery and ownership
The jade sculpture was accidentally found at the bottom of a well during engineering excavations in Allahabad in 1803. Its artistic skill and value were immediately recognised by its excavators and the object was soon afterwards removed to England by Lieutenant General Alexander Kyd of the
bequeathed it to the British Museum in 1830.[1]
Gallery
-
Side view
_(BM).JPG)
References
Further reading
- Sax, Margaret; Ambers, Janet; Meeks, Nigel & Canby, Sheila (2007). "The emperor's terrapin" (PDF). The British Museum Technical Research Bulletin. 1. British Museum: 35–41. ISBN 9781904982272.
- S. Cary Welch, India: art and culture, 1300–1900 (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1985)
