This Ivory miniature bureau is made in Vizagapatam, a harbor town on the east coast of India. In 1767 the Dutch trading post which was set up there fell in the hands of the British who made of Vizagapatam a thriving city. Under British rule the local craftsmen created objects for the Western market, and more specifically the British, with local materials. Among these things were the ivory veneered furniture pieces engraved with black ink, such as this miniature bureau
